Doctor Maelstrom
by Houkaru Kisaragi
Summary: Naruto has every reason to rule earth with his limitless powers, but instead he chooses to be a doctor and save lives in Metropolis. His life becomes more complicated when a Kryptonian spaceship crashed into his backyard.
1. God and Doctors

Anybody working in Metropolis Paragon Hospital are bound by two rules: never say derogatory things about ramen, and leave the hell away from Doctor Naruto Uzumaki's Kawasaki Ninja H2R motorcycle. The last time someone _accidentally_ scratched his motorcycle while belittling his obsession with ramen, let's just say that certain someone was last seen swimming in a shark pit near the coast of Queensland.

Dr Naruto Uzumaki was a complete enigma. For someone with a Japanese name, his comely feature was that of an Englishman. Some said his well-trimmed moustache reminded people of Luke Evans, while others claimed that his alluring and suave smile resembled Tom Hiddleston, which ultimately made him an infamous heartthrob in the hospital.

No one really knew about Naruto's past though, mainly because he always joked about being a ninja, but it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine. A few years ago, a gang war broke out in the hospital. The gunfight should have massacred dozens of innocent lives, but the surveillance camera caught footage of Naruto subduing all the perpetrators in A&E, escorting patients out of the premise, rescuing trapped children from a nearby medical ward, and having a ramen feast in the cafeteria, and he did all that at the same time.

After the ordeal, coupled with Naruto's unhealthy love for visiting casinos and drinking shaken and not stirred Vodka Martini, the staff in the hospital dubbed the eccentric blond "James Bond". Needless to say, he was shameless enough to accept that title with glee. However, his attire left much to be desired. T-shirt, ripped jeans, worn-out sneakers, if he didn't put on his lab coat and stethoscope, one would mistake him as a trigger-happy sociopath.

This begs the question: how the hell did he get even employed in the first place?

Truth is, even the nature of his employment was bizarre.

It involves a coin, a promise, and a girl from another planet.

Before he was the infamous Department Chief of Neurology in Metropolis Paragon Hospital, he was busy playing Robin Hood, stealing Yakuza's dirty money left and right and giving it to orphanages, thus he was constantly on the run.

 _ **"I don't get why are we even on the run. Given that they are the Yakuza, and that they are mere humans – Wait, you do know that they are humans, right? You also know that we are impervious to any physical injuries, right? You know we can kill them before they can even blink, right? Right? RIGHT? ANSWER ME, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"**_

Naruto rolled his eyes as he took a sharp turn around the corner of an alley, making insouciant looks behind his shoulder to ensure he wasn't followed. When the coast was clear, he sauntered towards a nearby vending machine. _"How many times must I tell you, Kurama? I am not going to kill them just because I can."_

 _ **"Aww! Why not?"**_ Kurama whined.

 _"I can rip this planet apart if I want to, but does that mean I have to do it? Wait! Don't answer that question."_

 _ **"This is the reason why we can't have nice things, Naruto! It's all your fault! You and your stupid conscience are going to get us killed one day!"**_

The blond chuckled. _"You do know that I can't die, no?"_

 _ **"Oh? Getting cocky now, huh? Show some respect to your elders, ungrateful punk! Who died and made you god?"**_

Naruto shut off his thoughts and rummaged his pockets to dig out some loose change, but during his endeavour, a fifty-cent coin fell from his grasp. Scratching his scalp in frustration, the blond traced after his coin, but it halted right before the foot of a young girl.

"Hey! That's mine!" Much to Naruto's chagrin, the girl picked up the coin and stuck out her tongue at him. "What are you doing? Didn't your parents teach you that stealing is a crime?"

"Finders, keepers." The girl retorted.

The blond placed a hand on his waist and flicked a finger at the child's forehead, startling her in the process. She nursed the sore spot on her forehead and glared daggers at him. "What did you do that for?"

Naruto stared at the girl incredulously. "That's my line. Now play nice and return it to me."

"Or what?" The girl probed with a haughty sneer.

"Or you're gonna get a spanking from me!" Naruto narrowed his eyes, knowing that the relentless girl wouldn't budge, so an idea came to him. "Fine. We both want the coin. Let's play a game. Winner gets to have it."

The girl's eyes lit up. "A game?"

"Yeah, but first, tell me your name."

"Mary. Mary Batson. What's yours?"

Naruto grinned. "I'll tell you if you win."

"Hey! No fair!"

The blond squat down, maintaining eye contact with the boisterous Mary while he was at it, his cheeky grin was still on his face. "Life isn't fair. Get used to it. Now, I'll explain the rules of the game real quick, so make sure you listen attentively. You're gonna toss the coin in the air, catch it with either hand, and I'm gonna guess which hand has the coin. Sounds simple?"

Mary grinned toothily. "Yeah!"

"Good, let's play."

Eagerly, the girl flipped the coin, but when she was about to catch it, the blond had already caught it in mid-air. Mary's eyes widened in shock, registering the fact that she was tricked, and pouted furiously at the blond. "You cheated!"

"Heh!" Naruto wrestled himself to a standing position. "I never said no cheating."

The blond stuck his tongue out at the girl, who was on the verge of tears. However, to Mary's surprise, a beautiful woman with lustrous black hair fashioned in a punk-and-rock style had come and smacked the back of Naruto's head crudely, causing him to yelp like an indignant five-year old. "I let my eyes off of you for one minute and I find you bullying a little girl in broad daylight."

Grail was the no-nonsense, shoot-first-talk-later kind of woman who had been by Naruto's side for many years. Despite the fact that she looked like the love child of Michelle Rodriguez and Gerard Butler, she had many insecurities; some would say she had a chip on her shoulder, partly because she had some serious daddy issues with her father, who happened to be the notorious Dark God of Apokolips, Darkseid.

"Me? Bullying her?" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the girl. "She was robbing me! It's highway robbery, I tell ya! You gotta believe me, Grail!"

 _ **"I wouldn't if I were her."  
**_  
 _"Shut the fuck up, Kurama. No one asks for your opinion, you oversized hairball!"_

 _ **"Come down here and said it right in front of my face, squirt!"**_

Grail scoffed at the blond, snatched the coin away from his hand, bent down, and smiled cheerily at Mary. "Here's an extra dollar. Go buy yourself some ice-cream with it, kay?"

The girl beamed her happiest smile at Grail and accepted the coin. "Thank you so much, big sister."

Ruffling Mary's hair, the daughter of Darkseid ushered the girl away. "Make sure to stay away from this meanie -" Jabbing with her thumb at the astonished blond at her side, who looked genuinely hurt, Grail smirked. "- if you see him next time, kay?"

Mary nodded fervently, pulled down her eyelid provocatively at the exasperated blond, and skipped away. Naruto was screaming bloody murder inwardly, pulling his hair in frustration, and glaring at Grail with eyes reflecting betrayal. He caught a glimpse of Mary turning to him, shaping a 'L' with her fingers, and placing it atop her head, grinning triumphantly at the infuriated blond.

"Did you see that?" Naruto exclaimed. "She's a demon!"

"She's just a little girl, Naruto." Grail supplied. "Besides, aren't you being a hypocrite? You gave away the money you stole from the Yakuza to needy children, but you get pissed off at a girl from taking a mere fifty-cent from you."

"I never said I wasn't a hypocrite, Grail. In fact, I'm a proud, handsome hypocrite." Flashing his sparkling white teeth at Grail, Naruto did a strong-man pose, but deflated almost immediately when she shoved a stack of flyers to him. "Can you not? Can't you just inflate my ego for two seconds and not care about work for just one moment in your life?"

Grail scowled. "You promised me you're gonna sponsor the tuition fees for my medical school. That's the reason why I joined your escapade with the whole robbing-the-Yakuza ordeal in the first place. Instead of giving it to me, you threw our effort to charity. All of it! You didn't even spare ten bucks for me to grab something from Taco Bell!"

Draping a hand over Grail's neck, the blond pulled her face close to his chest. Unbeknownst to the blond, Grail's heart was racing, and she thanked God that Naruto didn't have super hearing, because he would have hear her heart thumping loudly within her chest, but she did her best to hide her flustered state. "Don't lie to me, Grail-chan. You enjoyed playing Robin Hood's sidekick the whole time, didn't you?"

"S-Shut up! Let go of me!" The flustered daughter of Darkseid pushed the blond away. "If you were a doctor in some big fancy hospital, earning big bucks, I wouldn't have to work my ass off. I should be living a cushy life like a princess! I wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad~!"

"Life is tough, Grail. The challenges you face in life helps build character." Naruto lectured sagely, but the bright smile he carried never once faltered. "Besides, if I were to give you whatever you want, then you'll never get to appreciate life at its fullest. Be thankful for the hard times. They make you stronger."

There is a saying: those who smile the brightest are the ones hurting the most, because they don't wish to see anyone else suffer the way they do. Naruto had gone through enough horrors in a lifetime to become the man he was today. Grail wouldn't say for sure she could have that much compassion and kindness in herself after facing what Naruto had once faced. Perhaps that's the reason why she had fallen in love with a man who had saved her from her broken family.

But, she knew Naruto only see her as a little sister. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Alright, let's do this, yeah?" Rolling up his sleeves, Naruto offered his brightest smile to Grail, and it was as addictive as heroine, because she couldn't help but smile too.

It was then they heard a high-pitch scream. Snapping their attention to their back, they saw a white windowless van zapping past them and Mary sobbing at the side of what seemed to be the unconscious and bloody body of her father. Reacting to impulses, Naruto and Grail bolted to the commotion.

"What happened?" Naruto asked. "A hit and run?"

One of the witnesses offered. "Y-Yeah! That van just drove off as if nothing happened! It's horrible!"

As if going autopilot, Naruto removed his trench coat, gestured Grail to ward off the growing crowd, and yelled. "Someone called 911! Hurry!"

Switching his gaze to the body of Mary's father, Naruto was relieved to know the man was breathing, but barely. He calmly asked, "Can you move your fingers?"

The man only managed to let his pinkie twitch. Placing a hand on the man's chest, Naruto transfused a light pulse of chakra into the man's thorax, allowing his vision to be bombarded by visions of the man's inner cavity, and it worked better than any CT scan or X-Ray could ever achieve, because he could pinpoint any anomaly in a matter of seconds. "Multiple broken rips. One of them has already punctured his left lung. His diaphragm could have been torn. We need to send him to the hospital right now! If his breathing isn't stabilised within the next thirty minutes, things will get dangerous from then on!"

 _ **"This man's daughter just swindled your money. Let him die. He deserves it!"**_

Despite being submerged in a state of mass hysteria, a small smile curled at Naruto's lips. _"You are one cranky, old liar, Kurama."_

 _ **"…"**_

Grail hugged the wailing Mary close to her bosom, rocking the frantic girl back and forth. "It's gonna be okay. Everything is gonna be okay. Meanie here is a doctor."

Naruto glanced up at Grail's distraught face and Mary's pleading eyes. Balling his fists, he gave them a reassuring smile. "The ambulance is coming. Everything will be okay."

 _ **"Answer me this question, Naruto. Are you saving people because you sincerely want to save them… or are you doing it because you're hoping that one day, someone will come and save you like you did others?"**_

* * *

Metropolis Paragon Hospital had always been crowded with patients, due to its prestigious heritage for breeding prominent doctors and its reputation for having the lowest mortality rate amongst other renowned hospitals in the world. However, on that very day, a bank robbery took place near the hospital, resulting in a sudden flood of severely injured patients coming into A&E.

Professor Diana Prince led a platoon of doctors into the emergency ward, her confident gravitas demanded only obedience and respect from her peers. "Steady your hands when you attend to the patients, no matter how dire situations may be. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, ma'am!" The doctors yelled in unison.

"Move out!" Diana exclaimed, moving in a gait befitting of an aristocrat across the emergency ward, her composure never once wavered.

It was at that time where Naruto, Grail, Mary, and Mary's father were brought into the hospital by the ambulance. Grail was keeping the trembling Mary close to her side, while Naruto was awfully composed. When the paramedics rushed Mary's father to the emergency ward, Naruto was making himself comfortable, pouring himself a warm cup of water from the dispenser and taking careful sips. Perturbed by Naruto's nonchalance, Grail chastised. "Naruto! Do something!"

The blond blinked. "What do you want me to do? I'm not a doctor. They are."

Tilting his chin at the horde of doctors scrambling in disarray to their patients, Naruto heaved a heavy sigh.

Fifteen minutes flew past, but all the other doctors were occupied with other patients that they had not noticed Mary's father was in need of medical attention too.

"We both know that's bullshit." Grail gritted her teeth and pointed a finger at the disproportionate ratio between the abundance of patients requiring immediate attention and the lack of doctors tending to everybody. "Something must have happened! A&E usually are not this crowded! The doctors can't attend to everybody at once, especially when the number of patients easily outnumber the doctors ten to one. Nobody is attending to Mary's dad! You -"

"I'm not a doctor." Naruto interjected. "Besides, I can't risk getting sued by the hospital because I was masquerading as a doctor. I still have to help pay your school fees, remember?"

"To hell with my school fees!" Grail roared. "If I have to sacrifice medical school for Mary's dad, then I'll do it in a heartbeat! No question ask! Isn't that what you taught me all these years? To rise above principle and do what's right, not what's easy!"

The blond averted his gaze and stood up from his seat, but he was surprised when the girl tugged at his hand. "I-If… If I pay you… will you save my daddy?"

Naruto stared at the crestfallen girl solemnly. "Depends on how much you pay me."

Mary handed the fifty-cent coin, the same fifty-cent coin she cheated from Naruto, back to him. "W-Will this be enough?"

The blond answered quietly, "Of course not."

Hot tears streamed down Mary's rosy cheeks. It was as if her world had just collapsed. A maelstrom of thoughts struck her. She didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to lose another loved one. Breaking into frenzy sobs, Mary stared with teary eyes at her shoes. Grail clenched her fists and looked away, resisting her urge to shed her tears. She could empathise with Mary, because she had lost her beloved mother in an accident, so she swore an oath to never let another child go through what she had gone through.

Grail was about to reprimand the blond from being heartless, but when she saw the twinkle in his warm sapphire eyes as he studied the coin in between his fingers, at that very moment, she regretted doubting the man she looked up to.

"I…" Mary almost choked in her sobs. "I want my dad to live, mister. I… I don't want to be alone. P-Please save him!"

Naruto patted the girl's head affectionately. _"Damn it. Me and my conscience is gonna get me killed one day."_

In the back of his mind, he could hear Kurama laughing light-heartedly.

* * *

Doctor Barbara Gordon's aspiration to be a physician stemmed from a childhood trauma that involved her father, who happened to be the Police Commissioner of Gotham City. She would never forget that fateful incident; she was only twelve. Her father got a promotion and wanted to celebrate with her, but on their way to a local diner for dinner, a gang of mafia ambushed them. In her father's attempt to protect her, he was fatally shot by a hail of bullets.

Her father would have been a goner if that mysterious doctor with unkempt golden hair didn't arrive in time to save him. Ever since that day, Barbara was invigorated with the passion to save lives in hope of one day meeting her father's saviour. She graduated summa cum laude from Gotham State University and received an internship in one of the best hospitals in the world; Metropolis Paragon Hospital.

However, her good grades did not prepare her for the state of mass panic that was happening in the emergency ward. Her mind was overwhelmed with the screams reverberating in the hallways. As she was about to attend to a nearby patient, she was pulled to the side. Aggravated and annoyed, Barbara turned to the perpetrator with unkempt golden hair and scowled.

"What can I do for you sir? I'm kinda busy -"

"This patient is having cardiac arrest! I need a defibrillator now!"

Barbara frowned. "Who are you to order a doct -"

"Are you a doctor or a thug? Go get it! NOW!"

The dazed and befuddled intern nodded hastily and went to retrieve the machine. When the bemused Barbara brought the defibrillator to the bedside, the enigmatic blond administered the device like an experienced doctor would and shouted, "200 joules, now!"

"You can't do this without proper -"

"I said, NOW!"

Barbara swallowed down her consternation and pride, and did what she was told.

Delivering the shock into the patient's chest, the blond growled. "Again!"

The young intern watched in silent awe as the stranger performed a successful resuscitation for the dying patient. "There's blood pooling in his lungs. Get me a 28 Fr chest tube now!"

"I… I…"

"Pull yourself together! You're a goddamn doctor! If you can't even control your emotions in times like these, how do you expect your patients to entrust their lives in your hands? Now go and get me those damn chest tube!"

Nodding wearily, Barbara bolted to the medicine cabinet, dug out the required tool, and brought the chest tube hurriedly to the blond. Without hesitation, he applied anaesthetic on the side of the patient's chest, plunged the blade of the scalpel into the designated spot, and skilfully inserted the chest tube. "Hold the patient down. It will be a hassle if the patient starts to thrash around."

Beads of sweats were forming profusely on Barbara's forehead as she pressed her hands down on the patient's shoulder blades firmly, but she never once left her sight away from the stranger's dexterous hand. Truth be told, Barbara couldn't even fathom how fast and precise the blond was moving.

"Take a deep breathe."

"H-Huh?" Barbara blinked.

"It's okay to be scared. I take it you're new, huh?" The blond fiddled with the chest tube, trying to transverse it to the blood pool within the patient's chest cavity.

Barbara could only nod wordlessly.

"I got over my shaky hands when I saved two patients whose legs were blast off clean by landmines." Naruto connected the chest tube into the drainage canister and rubbed his hands together. "They didn't make it through, but that lesson taught me not to let my fear get to me. The greatest mistake you can make in life is fearing you will make one."

"You… were a military doctor?"

Naruto smiled. "Something like that."

Resting his hand over the patient's head and transmitting a small pulse of chakra into the brain, the blond blinked. "The concussion he suffered during the accident is causing acute cerebral haemorrhage. You need to get a neurosurgeon to operate on him fast."

"But it will take us a while to find a suitable neurosurgeon." Barbara argued. "Give or take, it'll probably take half an hour for us to find one."

"We don't have time for that. The longer we delay the surgery, the higher the probability for table death to occur."

The young intern looked around the emergency ward and spotted Professor Diana performing ad-hoc surgery on a poor sap, whose body was riddled with bullet holes. The other veteran doctors were not faring well either. Biting her lower lip, Barbara was having a war within herself. There was no way she had the aptitude to perform such a sophisticated surgery by herself. Besides, she was a mere intern who didn't have any authority to undergo operation without supervision, which means -

"I'll do it." Naruto sighed.

"B-But you're not registered as a doctor in our hospital!"

"Is now the time for something as trivial as that?" The blond growled and jabbed with a finger at the dying man. "Look at him! The patient is going to expire if we don't do something. If you have the time justifying the necessity of obliging to regulation, then I suggest you to take those precious time and put it to good use. A doctor should put the patient's life above all else. I intend to make sure he lives, so are you in or what?"

"Why?" Barbara narrowed her eyes, dubious about the stranger's ulterior motives. "Why do you want to save him?"

"Because I made a promise to a girl. A promise that involves me saving her dad no matter what. Now, are you going to help me keep that promise or are you going to be a hindrance?"

The intern grimaced. "I-I need to report to my supervis -"

"We don't have the time for that!" Naruto retorted heatedly. "Make a decision now!"

"Fine!" Barbara started pushing the hospital bed to the doorway. "Let's go! I'll bring you to the operating room!"

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Good girl."

A wave of nostalgia washed over Barbara. His charming, yet soothing voice that somewhat calmed her nerves triggered a fragmented memory to resurface; she could have sworn she had heard his voice before. Shaking her troubled thoughts away, Barbara was determined to get her task at hand completed. Her conviction only grew stronger when the charismatic blond offered her a kind smile. "We need an anaesthesiologist. You know one?"

Barbara blinked. "Umm…"

"I'll help." The source of the husky, yet enchanting voice belonged to a bodacious woman with coiffured black hair. Her beauty was elegance personified, and when she raked a hand through her silk-like hair, it was as if she was shooting for a Victoria's Secret commercial. As a doctor, she surely didn't dress like one, because her white corset, black mini-skirt, fishnet stocking, and high-heeled shoes made her looked more like a seductress than a physician.

Perhaps Naruto had watched too much movies, but this woman standing before her, with sparkling emerald eyes that let off a vibe of mischief, was what a femme fatale in a typical 80s spy movie would look like. Brushing a few strand of ebony hair behind her ear, Doctor Zatanna Zatara's crimson lips curled up into a Cheshire grin. "I know I'm attractive, but if you keep your eyes on me for too long, your patient will die soon."

 _ **"Careful, squirt. This one screams bad news. She's a magician."**_

 _"…Pardon?"  
_  
 _ **"Instead of pulling bunnies out of hats, these magicians prefer pulling hats out of bunnies. You catch my drift?"  
**_  
 _"How do you pull hats out of bunnies? I mean, where do you even pull it out- O-Oh… Oh! That's fifty shades of nasty."_

 _ **"Exactly."**_

Zatanna was used to guys falling head over heels in love with her, but when Naruto unexpectedly took a bold step forward, erasing the distance between them, and plucked a bead of rice from the side of her plum lips, all the while schooling his expression, she found herself intrigued with the man. "When it comes to my patients, I'm never distracted. So I take it you're an anaesthesiologist?"

Nodding slowly, Zatanna fixated her curious gaze at Naruto.

Barbara harrumphed loudly, breaking the tension in the air. "Operating room 2 just free up. Shall we?"

* * *

To say Naruto was one of the most skilled neurosurgeons Barbara and Zatanna had ever seen was the understatement of the century. He was able to perform a flawless craniotomy in record time, but he had bolted out of the operating ward afterwards like his life depended on it, leaving Barbara and Zatanna awestruck and confounded.

"What happened here?" Diana's domineering voice echoed within the chamber, her voluptuous figure loomed ominously before a trembling Barbara and an annoyed Zatanna.

"As you can see," Zatanna retorted, pointing a finger at the unconscious patient lying on the operating table. "We saved this man's life."

Diana raised a brow. "Who was the surgeon in charge?"

Her predatory eyes shifted to Barbara, who almost jolted in fright when her hawk-like eyes were cast at her. "I-I wasn't the surgeon in charge."

"Then who gave the green light to this surgery?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Zatanna removed her gloves, all the while avoiding Diana's gaze. "Some stranger demanded to operate on the patient. Since all the other doctors had their hands full, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth when he offered to help operate, especially when said horse is _way_ better than any neurosurgeons I have worked with, and that's saying something."

"And you just let him do as he pleases?" Diana said, venom was practically dripping from her tone.

Zatanna glanced up and met Diana's unforgiving glare. "He saved the man's life. That's all it matters."

"And what if he couldn't?"

Anybody would have succumbed to Diana's smothering aura, but not Zatanna. She stood tall and proud without exuding any traces of fear. "I'll take full responsibility then, Professor Diana. But, as it seems, the stranger not only saved this patient's life, but the hospital's reputation as well. If news got out that our hospitals were understaffed and unintentionally allowed a patient to die under our watch, guess whose head is on the guillotine?"

Diana scowled. "Are you threatening me, Doctor Zatanna?"

"I'm stating facts, Professor Diana." Zatanna responded with a devil-may-care attitude. "Since when did we doctors put rules and regulations above our patient's life?"

Exhaling a seething breath, Diana regained her composure, pinched the bridge of her nose, and feigned a smile. "Where did this stranger go?"

"Beats me." Zatanna let out a yawn. "He ran away after the surgery. You should see that man work. He's a miracle worker. No doctor can pull off that surgery without a decade worth of experience. Anyway, my shift is over. Barbara!"

Barbara straightened herself. "Yes!"

"Clean up the mess and find a room for the patient." The dark-haired beauty commanded coolly, gave Diana a respectful bow, and strode past her.

* * *

Naruto was strutting jovially across the hospital's corridor like Leonardo Dicaprio would, humming to Maroon 5's Sugar exuberantly. Grail appeared beside the blond, catching up with his pace. She noticed the blond was smiling as if he had struck lottery. Placing her hands behind her back, Grail smiled cheerfully. "Thanks for saving Mary's dad."

Fiddling with the fifty-cent coin in his grasp, Naruto smirked. "I didn't do it for free."

"For a mere fifty-cent?" Grail teased, pinching his bicep playfully. "Admit it, Naruto! You're a big softie! You act tough and all that, but inside you is a teddy bear, waiting to be cuddled and hugged!"

"Shut up, Grail!" The blond exclaimed, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I'll have you know that I have a reputation to uphold."

The daughter of Darkseid quirked a brow. "What reputation?" She erupted into a guffawing frenzy, all the while pointing a mocking finger at him.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. His clumsiness got the best of him though when the coin in his hand dropped, causing him to mumble obscenities under his breath. It was Deja-vu all over again; the coin bounced its way to a pair of grey Crocs. Gazing up, Naruto found himself face to face with a very angry woman.

Was it wrong for him to say that the woman looked incredibly sexy when she was puffing in rage?

 _ **"Are you a horn dog who forgot to shag for ten millennium? Get your head out of the gutter and start using some common sense, you dunce! This woman is more dangerous than Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct!"**_

 _"…But she's hotter than Sharon -"_

 _ **"You're missing the point!"**_

The beautiful woman with cascading mahogany hair was scrutinising him with dangerous eyes.

 _"Yeah, she's eyeing me out like I owe her a billion bucks."_

 _ **"Not that, you incorrigible fool! Her posture, her stance, and her physique scream seasoned warrior. She can conceal all she wants, but there is no hiding that divine power within her. Now that I think about it, there is something awfully wrong about this hospital. Don't you find it strange that there is an exodus of supernatural beings residing in this hospital?"  
**_  
 _"What can I say? I'm a trouble magnet. If only I can say the same thing when it comes to hot chicks."  
_  
Diana crossed her arms under her ample bosom. "Are you the one who did that illegal surgery in my hospital?"

"Your hospital?" Naruto scoffed, before he took a squint at the professor's name tag. "I don't see your name written on the walls, Professor Diana Prince."

"Even if you're a doctor, you need a permit to operate at foreign hospitals. That's standard protocol."

The blond scratched his scalp in frustration. "That's because it was an emergency -"

"Your license can be suspended if we report to the American Medical Association."

Naruto paused and shifted his frosty gaze at Diana.

The pregnant pause lasted for quite some time, even Grail was unsettled by it.

"Go ahead then."

Diana stared in disbelief at Naruto. "What?"

"Do it." The dauntless blond closed his distance between him and the professor. "If the media were to know your hospital relied on a foreign doctor like me to save your sorry ass, can you imagine what the publicity would do to your hospital's reputation? I'm pretty sure your precious AMA will be more than happy to send down investigators to dig out whatever deep, dark, naughty secrets you guys have been hiding."

Clenching her fists, Diana bent down to pick up the fifty-cent coin, stored it in her breast pocket, and glowered fiercely at the blond. "I do not respond to threat. I make them. Don't think for a second you can play with fire and get away unscathed, boy."

Naruto elbowed Grail's forearm playfully. "I guess someone is on her period."

Without hesitation, Diana grabbed a handful of cloth from Naruto's shirt and pulled it violently to her. "Do you think this hospital is a playground to you?"

An overzealous Kurama was drooling with anticipation as he chanted aloud in glee, _**"Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!"**_

The blond chuckled, unfazed by the brunette's aggression, and quipped, "No, but I think you're overcompensating your sense of worth by wearing slightly masculine clothing, being too aggressive than your male colleagues for anybody's liking, which gives you a prickly demeanour. I guess your peers mistook your pride for being a dragon lady as arrogance, _girl_."

His jest and anathematisation should have gotten him killed, so he thought, but Diana abruptly did a 180 and allowed an angelic smile to grace her lips. She let her firm grip over Naruto's shirt loosened, straightened his collar, and stood a little straighter. "Men, always assuming, always criticising, but never reflecting. That's the fallacy of your DNA. You thought you can rile me up with small talks? Let me tell you this: I am not the sort of enemy you want to make."

 _ **"Aww! Shots fired! Do you know when a woman stops arguing with you and starts agreeing with whatever you're saying, that's when shit is about to get real. Right now, she just went from Tony Montana to Miranda Priestly, and from what I gathered after watching Devil Wears Prada, you are about to get your nuts bisected."**_

 _"That's awfully graphic, Kurama."_

 _ **"You're a doctor, Naruto. Crushed balls should not faze you."  
**_ _  
"Shut up! Even doctors feel pain, okay?"_ _ **  
**_ _  
_Kurama snickered. _ **"You're in the danger zone~!"**_

 _"I think you have no idea who you're talking to, Kurama. Allow me to rephrase the great ol' Walter White. I am not in the danger zone, Kurama! I am the danger zone! A guy opens his door and get his butt whooped and you think that of me? No! I am the one who whoops the butt!"_

"Why are you not speaking?" Diana scoffed. "By the Gods, do you really have that much audacity to ignore me when I'm talking to you? Has your testosterone deafened you? Answer me, barbarian!"

In the midst of Naruto's musing, the scent of vanilla lavender fragrance suddenly hit his nose. He would never forget that mesmerising scent, because it was the same scent Hinata used to have. Naruto's eyes widened when he realised that Diana shared the same preference for perfume like Hinata did. Swallowing down his apprehension, the blond chuckled. "I'm starting to feel very butt-hurt by your sexist comment."

Naruto took a weary step back, grabbed Grail's wrist, and smiled uneasily at Diana. "I think I need to go home now, get myself some antiseptic cream, apply it on my sore butt, and rest for the day. See you around, dragon lady."

Winking at a peeved and bemused Diana, Naruto spun around and attempted to make a dash with Grail to the exit of the hospital, but their path was obstructed by another imposing figure.

Any ordinary person would perceive the bearded man in a bland suit as a typical average Joe, but his mere presence incited tremendous fear from Kurama, and that's enough warning to drive Naruto on high-alert.

 _ **"What the fuck is wrong with this place? Did you just stumble into the Super-Underpants Association?"**_

Naruto swallowed. _"What's wrong, Kurama? You sound… afraid?"_

 _ **"No time for chats and giggles, Naruto! This is goddamn DEFCON 1! Get the fuck out of here now! This guy is -"**_

"I'm James Corrigan, Chief Doctor of MPH. Please call me Jim though." Jim chuckled while adjusting his spectacles. "I happen to come across the footage of you performing surgery on a patient and I must say that you have a pair of marvellous hands. If I don't know any better, I might mistake you as Jesus's incarnate. That surgery was exceptionally hard to perform, I must say."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure what you're getting at but I need to go."

Jim diverted his attention to Grail. "Do you want to be a doctor, miss?"

"Uh…"

The chief physician smiled. "Let's make a deal, shall we?" Pointing a finger at Naruto, Jim offered. "If you are willing to be part of our medical staff, we'll sponsor for her -" Jim shifted the target of his finger to Grail. "- her tuition fees in Harvard Medical School. Hell, we'll even give her monthly allowance so she can start interning in our hospital immediately. The catch is simple."

There was this dangerous glint in Jim's eyes that Naruto just didn't like.

"Join us."

 _ **"Don't take up that deal, Naruto! There's no free lunch in this shitty world!"**_

 _"I never intend to take up such a shady deal in the first place, but why are you so afraid of this guy?"  
_  
 _ **"I'm not… afraid. Argh! It's complicated! I'll explain to you later! Just get out of here!"**_

Naruto cleared his throat and responded impassively, "Nah, I'll pass. Let's go, Grail."

Grail gasped, cursing inwardly at a missed opportunity for her to get herself a scholarship from one of the best hospitals in the world. She glared at the blond, fuming in umbrage, but his grim expression puzzled her. Although Naruto might seem like an impetuous dick who recklessly cause trouble for his own twisted pleasure, he never does things without reason, so when he ushered her to move, she dared not object.

That didn't mean she wasn't pissed.

"I understand my offer may come off as sudden, so how about this. If you do reconsider my offer, drop by my office anytime. I'll be more than happy to talk it out with you." Jim smiled as he watched Naruto dragged Grail along with him to the exit of the hospital.

Diana shook her head and stood beside the chief physician. "You're going to let them go? Just like that?"

"Professor Diana, I have an important task for you." Jim's smile grew disturbingly wider. Unbeknownst to Diana, Jim's eyes were radiating an eerie green glow. "You'll be representing Metropolis Paragon Hospital to recruit that man as our doctor. I don't care what it takes. Bring him to his knees if you would. Make him join us. He will make a splendid collection in our ranks."

* * *

The bus ride back to Naruto's rural clinic was awkward to say the least. Grail was fuming in exasperation, disgruntled by the fact that Naruto had willingly given up an opportunity for her to get a scholarship in Harvard Medical School, but what aggravated her the most was that the blond didn't even apologise to her or bother to justify it.

An unnerving silence surrounded them, not the good kind, but the heavy one that made her held her breath. If there's one thing she was familiar about the blond was that he was anything but quiet. Crossing her arms, Grail gritted her teeth. "Don't you have something to say to me?"

Naruto arched a brow, his gaze fixated intently at his phone. "Am I supposed to say anything to you?"

Turning to the blond, the daughter of Darkseid pouted. "Can you stop pretending nothing happened? You just turned down an opportunity for me to attain a scholarship in Harvard? Do you even know what that scholarship means to me?"

The blond sighed, locked his phone, and turned to Grail. "I promised you I'll pay for your tuition, but I'll do it on my terms."

"That guy may look creepy, but he just wanted you to be part of that hospital! Do you even know how many doctors will kill for that job?"

"I am not those doctors then." Naruto retorted. "Look, there are some things you don't understand and -"

"Then explain to me so I can understand it!" Grail countered heatedly. "You always go and decide things for me. And then you make it seems like it's for my best, but why don't you ask me what I want to do? Huh? Why can't I decide what's best for me?"

Naruto sighed. "Grail -"

"Stop treating me like a ten year old, Naruto! I'm no longer that girl who cries myself to sleep because mommy wasn't there for me!" Grail almost screamed, all the while forgetting the fact that she was in a crowded bus. Naruto shot subtle glares at those who were looking at Grail, before returning his attention to the exasperated girl before her. "I'm old enough to differentiate right from wrong, so stop hiding things from me! Am I not… Am I not…"

Grail clenched her trembling fist hard enough to draw blood, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. "Am I not family to you?"

"You will always be family to me, Grail. But some things are better left unheard." Naruto held Grail's hand and the self-inflicted bloody trenches on her palms were miraculously gone. He offered her a gentle smile, warming her heart in the process. "I can't tell you what that man is. Frankly, I'm not even sure what he is, but my instinct tells me he is someone we should stay away from, and my instinct rarely fails me."

"I can lift this bus with three fingers." The daughter of Darkseid snorted.

"And you never once beat me in a spar." Naruto smirked; he had always made short work of her whenever she challenged him to a duel, so that statement was equivalent to him pouring salt on her wound.

Grail pouted and crossed her arms. "Shut up."

"If everything is given to you so easily, you'll never truly appreciate what you have." Naruto smiled. "Now sit back down and enjoy the ride back home. It's always nice to have some peace and quiet."

The daughter of Darkseid gazed out of the bus window with a frown on her face. The bus eventually pulled to a stop near Naruto's clinic; he had to drag a reluctant Grail with him off the public transport. The stroll back home was something Naruto cherished the most; the night ambience was soothing, the air carried the fragrance of morning spring, and the streets were usually empty.

Naruto wasn't able to indulge in that moment of tranquillity when he glanced up at the night sky and saw a blazing meteor blitzed across the clouds. Narrowing his eyes, the blond discerned the trajectory of the meteor's flight, only to gasp in horror when he realised where it was about to land. Grail came to the same conclusion and looked at him.

"Ya can run?" The blond quipped.

"I can't imagine how you can still be so carefree when that damn thing is gonna hit our house!"

"Race ya there." Naruto gave Grail a playful wink before he vanished almost instantly.

When Naruto materialised his form into his house, the meteor had already crashed into his backyard. He surveyed the crash site warily, uncertain of what to make of the situation, because the meteor looked more like a spaceship. The fact that he could detect life within the foreign object confounded him. Hopefully, it wasn't some homicidal cockroach alien from Men in Black.

Ambling towards the damaged spaceship, Naruto peeled off what seemed to be the door of the aircraft like peeling onions and took a peak into it. There was no deranged cockroach alien or bloodthirsty xenomorphic creature waiting for him, just a beautiful girl with vibrant golden hair lying unconscious in within.

 _ **"You watch that old-school 90s movie called Species? Yeah? It's about a hot blonde chick alien killing guys while having sex with them! You better watch out or your dick is gonna end up in the ghetto!"**_

 _"I think we need to stop watching horror flicks. It's starting to make us paranoid."_

Naruto plunged his hand into the aircraft and tore a chunk of metal off so that he could effortlessly reach out for the girl. Placing a hand on her chest, Naruto released a pulse of chakra into her body to assess her vitals, only to widen his eyes in dismay.

It was at that moment Grail appeared behind him and let out a whistle of awe. "Wow, you don't see this every day."

The blond turned to the still oblivious Grail and shouted, "Go get the defibrillator! She's having a cardiac arrest!"

Dumbstruck, Grail's jaw remained unhinged as she tried to register the suddenness of the situation.

"What are you waiting for?" Naruto snapped, "Go get it, now!"

* * *

 **Author Note: Please support this story with kind reviews.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or DC Universe.**

So, what do you guys think about this story? Hope you like it.

The pairings:  
1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoXGrail  
3.) NarutoXBarda  
4.) NarutoXKara  
5.) NarutoXHarem  
6.) NarutoXSuggestion

Drop a comment on the reviews and let me know how you feel.


	2. Rainy and Sunny Morning

Grail bolted towards the clinic in a haste and her body went autopilot; she switched on the lights, prepped the operating table, and pulled out an ALS defibrillator from the corner of the operating room, just in time for Naruto to barge in with the unconscious alien girl resting in his arms. Once the blond laid the alien on the operating table, he took off his Armani leather jacket and tossed his Jaeger-LeCoultre Tourbillion watch aside.

"Grail! Stop spacing out and turn on that damn thing!" Naruto bellowed, his gaze fixated fiercely at the still-idle ALS defibrillator. Climbing atop the unconscious frame of the beautiful blonde girl, Naruto started performing CPR on the patient.

Despite working as a nurse in Naruto's clinic, Grail still wasn't used to handling exigent operations. It was nerve-wrecking for Grail when Naruto went into his 'doctor' mode, because he became a man who wouldn't tolerate any slip up; God knows how many scolding she endured from the blond when she couldn't find a proper vein in the patient's elbow pit for injection, but his stringent attitude made her stronger.

Swallowing down her trepidation and shaking off her trembling hands, she gave herself a determined nod and readied the defibrillator. "Doctor! 200 joules, ready!"

Naruto took the paddles and dexterously applied shock to the alien girl. "Again!"

Biting her lower lip anxiously, Grail watched in silent awe at Naruto resuscitating the alien, who looked awfully like Sara Underwood than E.T. Yes, Grail used to be an avid fan of Playboy magazines, but nobody could blame her for having such guilty pleasure, because if Naruto didn't carelessly leave stacks of those lewd stuff lying around the house like as if they were decors, she wouldn't have become a closet pervert. Don't judge.

"Grail, you're spacing out again! If you're not gonna be any help, then get out of my OR!"

Snapping out of her trance, Grail stood rigid. "I'm sorry, doctor! I -"

"I don't need your goddamn apologies! I want you to be focus!" Naruto exclaimed heatedly. "Get ECG prepared! Her pulse is coming back, but we need to monitor her heart rate."

"Yes!" Scrambling her way to the electrocardiograph, Grail switched it on, connected the electrodes to the machine, and skilfully placed the pads on Sara Underwood-lookalike's body. Naruto stood aside, observing Grail performing an excellent electrodes placement that even some junior doctors were inept at doing, and she wasn't even a medical student yet.

At that moment, Naruto did not see the monster Grail was born to be, but an aspiring soon-to-be doctor who would be saving countless lives in the future. He couldn't help but smile proudly; she wasn't that homicidal, deranged, and depressed twelve year old girl he adopted all those years ago. Grail had blossomed into something beautiful, and Naruto was glad to turn her life around.

Folding his arms, Naruto raised his chin and gazed at the electrocardiograph, analysing the report with narrowed eyes. "Grail, tell me what you think about her ECG."

Glancing at the data on the screen, Grail harrumphed, brushing strands of raven hair behind her ear. "The rhythm of her heart is too fast and erratic. It's definitely ventricular tachycardia, but her QT interval suggests torsades de pointes."

Arching a brow, Naruto gave Grail a flabbergasted look. Pacing around his small yet well-equipped operating room, the blond placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head. "You have been studying a lot, huh?"

Rubbing a finger across her nose, Grail smiled impishly and pumped out her chest with confidence. "Of course! I wasn't kidding when I said I want to be a doctor like you."

Ruffling her hair affectionately, Naruto grinned. "So, _doctor_ , what do you suggest we do?"

Grail chuckled sheepishly. "I'm… actually not sure."

"You still have much to learn." The blond let out a sigh, but gave the girl a wink. "Go get magnesium sulphate ready."

"Yes, sir!" The daughter of Darkseid gave him a mock salute, stifled a giggle, and ran to the medicine cabinet. While Grail was occupied with her task, Naruto ambled towards the unconscious form of the alien and cupped a hand on her forehead, transmitting pulses of chakra into her body. When the blond had conceived the alien's physiology, he widened his eyes in astonishment and gasped. _"W-What the -"_

 _ **"Whoa! What's with this girl? She shares similar molecular structure like us, but…"**_ Kurama frowned. _**"Is she a plant or what? Her cellular make-up carries photosynthetic properties. Can we call her… Plant Girl? Has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Heh! Now that I think about it, she should definitely be the poster-girl for Plant vs Zombie, no?"**_

Naruto rolled his eyes, ignoring Kurama's playful snickers. _"Doesn't her body's molecular structure reminds you of Hashirama Senju?"_  
 _ **  
"…Yeah. It sure does, but this one is different."  
**_  
 _"We should -"_

 _ **"Kill her."**_

Registering Kurama's abrupt request and the blatant venom laced in his cold voice, Naruto was dumbstruck. _"What?"_  
 _ **  
"Kill her before she becomes the next Kaguya."**_ There was no hint of playfulness in Kurama's words, just steel-hard conviction, something that Naruto wasn't used to hearing. _**"She's pretty docile now, huh? It's gonna be easy to slit her throat. Hell, she's not gonna feel anything anyway. You're a doctor, aren't you? Surely you know where her brachial artery is. One clean slice and we can grant her an easy death."**_ **  
** _  
"Oi, Kurama, you -"_

 _ **"We can't trust anybody to have such powers. Nobody should attain the power of gods. Put her down, Naruto, before she becomes a rabid dog."**_

 _"Kurama -"_

 _ **"Are you hearing me? Kill her now or I'm gonna do it!"**_

 _"OI, KURAMA!"_

 _ **"DON'T TALK BACK TO ME, NARUTO!"**_ Kurama's furious roar wasn't just blind rage, because Naruto could feel fear and desperation emanating from his tone. _**"I can already foresee the mayhem this thing will wrought! In case you have forgotten, let me remind you! There were six billion people back in our world when Kaguya attacked! The Mugen Tsukuyomi hit more than 99 percent of the world's population! Let me do the math for you! That's 5.94 billion people dead and gone! And then it became some World War Z shit, because they all turned into zombies and started killing anything that moves!"**_

Naruto clenched his fists. "Kurama, listen -"

 _ **"No, you listen to me! You have seen what happens when someone wields absolute power."  
**_  
 _"I wield absolute power, Kurama!"_

 _ **"It's because you're different, Naruto!"**_

 _"What makes me so different from Kaguya? Huh?"_

 _ **"Because unlike her, you have a conscience!"**_

Naruto pointed a finger at the unconscious alien. _"And she doesn't?"_

 _ **"Let me be frank with you, Naruto. If Grail led her life astray, I will put her down like a sick dog."**_

 _"KURAMA!"_

 _ **"NARUTO!"**_ Kurama was outright seething. _ **"Don't you dare let your emotions cloud your judgement! Just because you're getting chummy with Grail, doesn't mean she isn't a monster! Her father is goddamn Darkseid! She has both the blood of an Amazon and a Dark God running in her veins! We both know what would happen if you didn't dive into her mind and seal her insanity away!"**_

Naruto hated to admit it, but he would go as far to say that Grail might become twice the monster her father was if there was nobody to bring light in her dreary life. Grail was born to be a harbinger of destruction, and if she was raised by her father, she would jolly well be a ruthless despot who cared for nobody but herself, but Naruto knew better.

The circumstances of her birth, along with the powers she was bestowed with, had nothing to do with what she was today. It was what she chose to do in her life that determined who she really was. Naruto could empathise with her, because like her, he was born a monster, but he overcame his horrid fate with sheer willpower, and so could she.

Naruto would not allow Grail to become a monster.

Taking in a deep breath, the blond regained his composure. _"Then answer me this, Kurama. If I decided to wipe out humanity, will you put me down too?"_

 _ **"…"**_

There was a moment of tense silence between Naruto and Kurama.

Neither spoke for a long time, but when Kurama broke into mischievous guffaws and squashed the tension between them, Naruto let out a breath of relief.

 _ **"I was just fucking around with you, bro. Chill out, dude! It's just a prank, bro!"**_

 _"Are you insane? I almost wanted to beat your ass for being such a dick!"_

 ** _"Don't get so work up over a little teasing. You know me. I honestly don't care if this world goes to shit. Hell, I will be happily munching popcorn while watching the world burn. But you should seriously see your face just now. You were like so agitated when I went bat-shit insane about being self-righteous and all that. Ha, ha, ha!"_**

Naruto nursed his throbbing forehead _. "Ha, ha, haaa… Fuck you."_

 _ **"Toodaloo, mothafuc -"  
**_  
The blond had to shut off his mind after getting punk'd from douchebag Kurama. He should know better than to believe that his happy-go-lucky tenant has even a shred of compassion for the wellbeing of the world; Kurama was too jaded and apathetic to take anything seriously.

"Doctor! Hello! Earth to Naruto!" Grail waved her hand in front of Naruto's daze eyes. "You're the one who reprimanded me about spacing out, but here you are, spacing out like a fool! Hello!"

Suddenly, Naruto's hand shot out and caught Grail's wrist, startling her in the process. "Whoa! Can you not? I almost got a heart attack!"

"Have you prepared the dosage of the magnesium sulphate?"

Grail rolled her eyes, her scowl was still plastered on her features. "Yes. I'm not an amateur."

"Stop rolling your eyes." The blond took the syringe from her grasp. "It's impolite."

Inspecting the needle, Naruto snuck a glance at Grail, who was scribbling down notes on her clipboard and recording data from the ECG.

 _ **"Jokes aside, I wasn't kidding when I said you're getting soft, because if she did become a monster, will you have the heart to put her down?"**_

* * *

Diana leaned into her leather chair, scrutinising the pile of files scattered on her desk with frosty gaze. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she seized her glass of Macallan 55-year-old whiskey, gave it a weary sniff, and took an appreciative sip. The soothing melody of Martha Argerich's Beethoven Concerto No. 1 was playing from the speakers situated at the corner of Diana's tenebrous office, and the empowering music enhanced the fragrance and taste of her liquor.

"I am not in the mood to read through all these. Explain it to me briefly, Artemis. Make sure not to leave out the important bits."

Artemis adjusted the tie of her suit and straightened herself. "According to the report, Naruto Uzumaki appears out of nowhere twenty years ago. He was a Harvard graduate who went on to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army's Medical Corps. He was a field surgeon, serving the Navy SEALs for eight years. After getting discharged from army, he went to the Middle East, North Africa, and subsequently South Asia to be a rural doctor, helping and saving the unfortunate."

Raising a curious brow, Diana chuckled. "Did he preach the gospel while he was at it?"

"No, he didn't, milady." Artemis cleared her throat, not really comprehending her mistress's attempt on cracking a joke. "His work ethics and performance in the army were beyond excellent. He would have been the next Army Surgeon General if he didn't choose resignation. However, there is something suspicious and disconcerting about his… records."

The Princess of Themyscira raised a brow. "Oh? How so?"

"During his time in the army, he was dispatched to Afghanistan to rescue and treat wounded soldiers. However, in one of his many rescue missions, he and four of his men were ambushed by a squadron of Taliban troops. Uzumaki and his squad were trapped inside a tunnel. There was no way five measly soldiers can possibly take down two hundred and fifty-six armed insurgents."

Diana swirled her glass of vintage whiskey and crossed her slender legs. "And?"

"The reports were classified as top secret, but I managed to uncover some truth behind it. Apparently, there is a documentary from one of the soldiers sent to rescue Uzumaki and his squad. He said that upon their arrival to the battlefield, the desert was, and I quote, 'a graveyard of maimed corpses'. Some of the soldiers who saw what happened suffered severe PTSD and were sent to mental asylums."

Arching a curious brow, Diana gazed up at a bemused Artemis. "Are you telling me… he killed all two hundred and fifty-six Taliban soldiers?"

"…According to the report, it is heavily implied that Uzumaki was the one who single-handedly slaughtered the insurgents with his bare hands."

"Bare hands?" The princess was staring in disbelief at her assistant.

Artemis nodded grimly. "I found numerous reports of such bizarre incidents that are currently ushered into the 'don't ask' section in the U.S. Military's archives. The peculiar thing about this is that Uzumaki happens to be the centre of it. Milady, do you think he is a metahuman?"

Stroking her chin, Diana frowned. "Find out why he was discharged from army, what he did during his travels, and why did he return to Metropolis."

Grabbing her Bentley's key fob, Diana stood up from her seat, stalked towards a petrified Artemis, and cupped her assistant's chin; Artemis felt vulnerable whenever her princess stared at her with her predatory, yet beautiful sapphire blue eyes. It was as if Diana was peering into her soul. "I'll be back. Be sure to get me my regular Starbucks. You know I like it hot, right?"

"Y-Yes, milady." Artemis's lips were trembling and she was yearning to be touched by her mistress.

Diana grinned before she strode past the bewildered Artemis.

* * *

Some say God's wrath was scarier than a nuclear holocaust, because if He desired, He could make the monsters from Pacific Rim come to life and watch the beasts chomp down civilisations. If God is a fan of George Miller's work, He could even turn the world into a giant wasteland just to make Mad Max a reality, provided that He is a movie junkie.

So, that comes down to one fundamental question: is God wrathful?

Jim Corrigan could answer that question, because he was The Spectre, a persona of God's untamed rage, bequeathed with the power to annihilate all of creations if it was justifiable. In the day, he did God's work by saving people as a doctor, but when the sun fell behind the horizon, he did God's work by terminating evil as an executioner. Donned in a green cloak, Jim oversaw the skyline of metropolis, a city that looked very much like a jungle of great monoliths that were built by glass and concrete.

Taking a puff from his Cohiba cigar, Jim took in the night breeze and narrowed his eyes. "What brings you here, Stranger?"

The Phantom Stranger was someone nobody wanted to see in a night alley, because his top hat and eerie white eyes, coupled with his gruff voice that was deeper than Liam Neeson's, could intimidate even the A-Team. Tipping his hat, the Phantom Stranger grinned. "The usual business. I see that you are doing well, Spectre."

"Your presence always means trouble." Jim sighed. "Surely you didn't come here on your own accord just to have a friendly chit-chat with me. The last time you come to me, I have to go to the Sudan and terminate a covert human-trafficking operation. What does Big-Man-Upstairs want this time?"

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, the Phantom Stranger shook his head. "It seems to me that exercising your role as the Spectre has put a toll on you, no? Do you despise your job that much?"

"Don't get me wrong, Stranger. Any scumbag, any criminal, any rotten piece of junk that I put down, I didn't do it because it was my job. I did it because I like it!" Jim exclaimed, green fire were radiating from his eyes as he grinned darkly. "Hell, I love it! I'll do it again if I have to."

The Phantom Stranger let out a hollow chuckle. "I'm glad that you like your job. I won't beat about the bush any longer than I should. The Boss wants me to deliver a message to you."

"What is it?"

"Back off."

The embodiment of God's wrath furrowed his brows. "What?"

"He knows what you're trying to do with Naruto Uzumaki. He does not want you, or anybody for the matter, to interfere. Walk away from the chessboard… while you still can."

"Walk away?" Placing a hand on his hip, Jim took a puff from his cancer stick, a dangerous grin was formed on his features. "Everybody is born to follow a script. I am destined to be the Spectre, as well as the CEO of Paragon Metropolis Hospital. You were destined to be a betrayer. We all are born with a purpose and nobody is to be left out from God's plan, but do you know what intrigue me, Stranger?"

The Phantom Stranger was confused, so Jim elaborated, "He has no plans for Naruto Uzumaki. It's like free-play for the guy. The Boss did not plan a destiny for him. He did not write a script for him. Hell, He did not even permit his residency in this universe from the get-go, because he does not belong here. Why is that so? I do not know, and I don't think we will even come close to know what goes in His mind, but one thing is for sure."

Jim crossed his hands. "Someone must tie a leash around Naruto Uzumaki's neck. He does not exist within the spectrum of the natural order and his existence in this universe is causing frightening disruption in a global scale. He is changing people's fate unknowingly, tearing up the script that God has made for every one of us, and undoing His work, which begs the question: why hasn't God destroyed him?"

The Phantom Stranger shook his head. "That is not up to us to know. Our duty -"

"There is no 'us' between you and me, _Judas_. Let's makes one thing clear. Your duty is to tell the Boss that there is a bogeyman living in the closet. That has always been your role." The Spectre tilted his head, a malicious smirk curled up at his lips. "I'm the guy the Boss hires to kill the bogeyman. Right now, Naruto Uzumaki is the bogeyman."

"Why are you so fascinated with Naruto Uzumaki? You were never like this to your targets before. Why now?"

"Stop digging, Stranger." Jim scowled. "It's starting to piss me off."

The Phantom Stranger shook his head. "Perhaps the one who should be kept in check… is you, Spectre."

It was at that moment an overwhelming pressure slammed upon the Phantom Stranger's shoulders, almost sending him to his knees, but he withstood it.

"Have you lose anybody? People that you care about. People that you loved."

The Phantom Stranger clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything.

"I guess not, so don't talk like you know me."

"Everybody lost someone. That doesn't give you the right to defy the Lord."

The Spectre scoffed. "Do you know why Naruto Uzumaki interests me so much? He is like me. A man who lost too much. A man who understood how unjust the world is. A man who is alone and confused. Like me, he possesses transcendental powers, yet he showed so much restraint. Like me, he chose to be a doctor, despite all the odds stacked against him. But, do you know something?"

Thunderclouds from perdition swirled in the night sky, threatening to burst into an array of lightning. Jim glanced up, the intensity of his umbrage was matching the ferocity of the coming storm. "He is one bad day away from becoming a monster like me."

The Phantom Stranger growled. "Spectre, if you go against His orders, you'll pay -"

Abruptly, Jim thrust his hand forward and did a choke-like gesture, as if imitating Darth Vader's infamous force choke. The Phantom Stranger sank into his knees, clawing at his neck to pry off the force to no avail. "Do not threaten me, Stranger. I will not kill Naruto Uzumaki. Where is the fun in that? No, I will manipulate him to do my bidding. I will make him my toy. If you dare interfere with my plans, I will make God's wrath looks like thanksgiving dinner compare to mine!"

* * *

Naruto wakes up every morning just to complete one simple routine: push-ups. He would be topless and sweaty as he performed two set of thousand Bruce Lee's one finger push-ups with a 120 kilogram barbell resting on his back. It was without a doubt that the blond was built like a brick shithouse, with scars emblazoned on his body as if they were medals.

Grail was a healthy woman, so she wouldn't let up the chance of watching Naruto do his thing, but she was anything but unproductive. Dressed in just her pyjamas, she would sat on the couch with her Gibson classical guitar resting on her lap. She might be the daughter of a nefarious god, but it was her angelic voice that surprised Naruto.

Till this day, if the blond didn't know any better, he might mistook her voice for Mariah Carey's, because when she sang, he couldn't help but be amazed.

The hypnotic sound of her guitar reverberated throughout the living room as Grail lost herself into the sweet strums of her music, playing Birdy's variant of Skinny Love in the warm morning ray.

"Come on, skinny love, just last the year~"

"Pour a little salt… we were never here~"

"My my my, my my my, my my my my…~"

"Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer~"

"I tell my love to wreck it all…~"

"Cut out all the ropes and let me fall~"

"My my my, my my my, my my my my my…~"

"Right in the moment this orders'… tall~"

"And I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine, and I told you to be balanced, and I told you to be kind, in the morning I'll be with you, but it will be a different kind~"

"Cause I'll be holding all the tickets, and you'll be owning all the fines~"

Naruto completed his routine and let out a sigh of content. Seizing the towel on the coffee table, the blond sat beside Grail and wiped his sweats. "I see someone is up and early?"

Putting her guitar aside, Grail smiled. "I don't sleep in."

"Not even on a Saturday? Did you even listen to Rebecca Black's song?"

The daughter of Darkseid rolled her eyes. "I'm more into the classics."

Naruto pinched Grail's nose playfully and chuckled. "Did you check on the patient before you come down?"

"Yeah. Her vitals are stable." She stretched her limps and let out a yawn. "Unlike you, I actually take my job very seriously."

Grasping his chest, Naruto looked genuinely hurt; if Grail didn't know any better, she might think the blond had graduated from Yale's School of Drama, not Harvard's Medical School. "How can you pick on me like that, Grail? I am your teacher! I'm the goddamn doctor of this clinic! You are my employee, yet I get treated like dog shit! My heart… is aching so much!"

Grail punched Naruto's bicep and giggled. "Go audition for a role in Hollywood, drama-queen."

"I should, actually." The blond stroked his chin, as if taking the idea seriously. "Maybe I could be the next Indiana Jones! I have the looks, the muscles, and the charm to pull it off."

"More like landing a role in a reboot version of Brokeback Mountain."

Naruto raised his fist, as if attempting to bonk her on the head. "Do you want to die? Huh!"

Grail let out a cheery guffaw and a light-hearted chuckle escaped Naruto's lips. He enjoyed mornings like that. There were no worries and no weight on his shoulders, just bliss. All he needed now was a bowl of hot miso ramen and a cup of coffee and he would be invigorated for the day. Folding his muscular arms, Naruto cleared his throat; he knew Grail was dedicated to be a doctor, but there was something he had always wanted to ask her.

"Why do you want to be a doctor, Grail?"

Taken aback by Naruto's sudden question, Grail blinked quizzically. "…What?"

"Is it because I'm so awesome that it rubs off on you?"

"You know why I want to be a doctor," Grail said, almost like a whisper as she tucked her hands behind her knee.

Naruto leaned back into his seat and smiled sadly. "Your mother's death is not your fault."

"You don't know that!" Grail averted her gaze. "I don't want to discuss about this."

"Running away from a problem is not going to solve anything."

The daughter of Darkseid growled. "I'm not running away! Don't you dare accuse me of that!"

"Then answer my question. Why do you want to be a doctor?"

"If I were a doctor like you, she wouldn't have died!" Her eyes were bloodshot, but she stifled the urge to weep. She was done showing her vulnerability to anyone. It had been six years since her mother's tragic passing, but time didn't heal her wounds. For the sake of protecting her sanity, her pain got lessen, but it was never truly gone, leaving an emotional scar behind to remind her what she had been through and survived.

In life, there were so many what-ifs to Grail; if only she could tell her beloved mother how much she loved her when she had the chance, if only she could be stronger and save her mother from their assailants, if only she could hear her mother nagging at her again about doing the laundry, and if only she could express how thankful she was to her mother for being there for her, but she knew better. There were no what-if.

The blond draped a hand over Grail's slender shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Being a doctor is a blessing and a curse, Grail. We aren't gods. We can't save everybody. You were only fourteen when that incident happened. She did what any mother would do for her child."

"I told myself that too. I tried not to blame myself, I -" Grail took in a sharp breath and wiped a tear from her right eye. "I told myself that if I were stronger, I could change things. I am strong now, but I still can't change the past. If my good-for-nothing father put in some effort to find me, mom wouldn't have died! If I -"

"Grail," Naruto interjected. "If being a doctor is something that keeps you breathing, then by all means, go for it. But, if you have lived your life blaming yourself like that, thinking about a thousand 'what-ifs', you wouldn't be the compassionate, kind, and full-of-energy Grail that I know today."

Instead of taking the compliment, Grail was frustrated. "Do you have to make that point now?"

"...Yes." Naruto replied bluntly.

"Yes?" Grail stared at him incredulously, offended by how lightly he was perceiving her plight.

"Your past is eating you, Grail. I don't want to see you miserable and ruining your life like that."

Clenching her fists, Grail released a seething breath. "I'm trying to take responsibility for my mom's death and you think that will ruin my life?"

Naruto straightened himself. "How do you want to take responsibility of your mom's death? Do you think the guy who sent those assassins after you and your mom will feel remorse after what happened? Do you want to catch that guy and force an apology out of his throat? Is that it?"

"Yes." Grail gritted her teeth.

"That guy probably sleeps like a baby after doing such horrible things. I would know because I was once an assassin myself." Naruto said. "But I told you before, didn't I? A sincere apology comes with appropriate compensation. Sorry is easy to say. Giving appropriate compensation is the tough part. People just don't like giving compensation, Grail."

"That's why I'm gonna find that guy responsible for everything!"

"And what are you going to do after that?"

Grail turned to Naruto, her eyes were burning with murderous rage. "I'm going to kill him."

The blond looked away and let out a frustrated growl. The vengeful wrath in Grail's eyes were so similar to Sasuke's. He had seen first-hand what kind of damages such blind and unchecked wrath could inflict on a person. Sasuke went down a dark path of solitude, trying to avenge his deceased family at all cost, because the hope of acquiring vengeance was the reason why he had the strength to wake up every morning, but it turned him into a sociopath too.

"That's why I want to be a doctor, Naruto. That job is my saving grace. Saving people as a doctor is going to preserve my sanity when I slaughter that bastard. In order to beat monsters, I have no choice but to be one too."

Unexpectedly, Naruto responded without haste. "Your mother will not want you to carry hatred in your heart, Grail."

Grail scoffed. "How can you assume what my mother wants for me?"

"Because all sane parents would only want happiness for their children."

That statement almost broke Grail's resolve, but in the midst of her frustration and anguish, she couldn't bring herself to agree to it.

"Don't tell me to forgive those bastards who killed my mother." Grail clenched her fists. "I will never be able to do it."

"I'll kill that bastard for you." Naruto responded coldly. "Will that be sufficient?"

Grail bit her lips. "Naruto, I -"

"Give me some time. I'll help you find the assholes responsible for this mess. I can't have people around me suffer like this. And I sure as hell don't want you to soil your hands like that." Naruto held Grail's soft hands and rubbed it affectionately. "Let me help you carry some of your burden."

Rolling her eyes, Grail looked solemnly at the blond. "You really are smart, aren't you? Do you think I'll give up just because you said things like that to me?"

"You're smart too. I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to imply." Naruto placing a comforting hand on Grail's shoulder and said, "Revenge, destruction, schemes… I'm not that type of person who would get caught up by something like that. I told you that I wasn't from this universe. I told you what happened to my family and friends back in my world. It's killing me not knowing what happened to my wife and unborn child, but I'm not going to fall into misery. I'm not going to give up eating, caring for others, or treating patients just because I met stumbling blocks in my life."

Naruto felt as if his age had caught up to him, but he presented a brave and vibrant smile to Grail. "Time is precious to me, Grail. And it is precious enough for me to cherish the things I did today. To me, I live my life telling myself that there's no tomorrow, because the world doesn't change for me or you. We could die tomorrow, that's why living at this moment is what matters. Your mother doesn't want you to live your life in constant misery. She would want you to be happy."

"But that's how I live."

"I know it takes time to let go off that anger, trust me for someone who knows, so I won't ask you to stop thinking about it, but remember this." Naruto ruffled her hair. "I'll always be here to help you."

* * *

What is hell? Some say everybody is living it. To Kara Zor'El, she concurred to that in a heartbeat, because she was forced to watch haplessly as her parents sacrificed their lives just to ensure she gets to live. If that wasn't hell, Kara didn't know what was, so when she woke up from an alluring voice that sounded like it was from an angel, she thought the nightmare she lived in was over.

Kara found herself lying on a pine framed bed. Climbing out of the bed, she shielded her eyes from the brilliant amber piercing through the casement window. Surveying her environment wearily, she noticed the bedroom was furnished with a meagre budget, yet it carried a warmth that reminded her of home.

It was then she realised that she just woke up to a nightmare called reality.

Noticing the soothing song had abruptly halted, replaced by what seemed to be a heated argument between a man and a woman, Kara kept a vigilant gaze around her environment before she approached the doorknob. She was scared out of her wits and the flutters in her chest wouldn't stop, but she had to push through, so she pulled open the door and sauntered towards the commotion.

When she reached the living room, she was greeted by a man with short unkempt hair. "W-Where am I?"

The blond smiled. "I'm glad that you're able to speak our language, giving the fact that you're clearly not local. That makes things a whole lot easier. Anyway, this is my house. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way. You are…?"

"…Kara Zor-El. Is this planet… by any chance… called Krypton?" Kara asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Krypton?" Naruto arched a brow. "Never heard of it."

Kara collapsed into her knees and stared with wide-eyes at the floor. Her world had just stopped moving and everything seemed to be falling apart.

"This is Earth. Judging by your reaction and the fact that you're not from around here, I would assume your world is gone." Naruto raked a hand through his messy golden hair and let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

Balling her quavering fists, Kara glanced up and glared furiously at Naruto. "Y-You're sorry? What do you know about my pain? WHAT DO YOU KNOW?"

Grail was startled by Kara's outburst, but Naruto was unfazed. He was calm, despite the lamenting blonde verbally abusing him with her native tongue. Plopping down beside the infuriated Kara, he crossed his legs and lifted his chin, offering her a gentle smile. "It hurts, doesn't it? Not knowing what to do next. Not knowing why God cruelly take away the people you loved and cherished? Not knowing how to face all this."

Naruto took in a deep breath. "Believe me, I understand what you're going through. You didn't just lost your family and friends. You lost your norm of life. You lost the peace and bliss you share with those around you, and when everything is cruelly taken away from you, you blame yourself for not cherishing it more than you should when you have it."

The reminiscence used to break Naruto, but his tears were all dried up. He was never a man of angst, so he could not tolerate being down. Besides, he didn't want Kurama to be sad because of him. "I, too, lost many things, and like you, I lost my parents, my friends, the people I cared about… and even my world too. Everything is gone, and you suddenly find yourself alone and empty."

Hot tears were streaming from Kara's eyes as she glanced up pleadingly at Naruto to stop. Clutching her chest, she let out a wail of despair, the agony in her heart suddenly become smothering, suffocating her and rendering her mortified. She was struggling to breathe, and in that moment, she hoped she wasn't.

"You just want everything to be over. You just want… to die." The blond smiled sorrowfully. "The butterflies in your chest, the turmoil in your brain, and the tremendous weight on your shoulders… you just want them all to be gone. And then depressive questions started bombarding you. Why? Why must I suffer like this? Why must I go through so much pain? Why can't I stop hurting? Why me?"

Naruto pulled Kara to a tight embrace, brushing the back of her hair with gentle tenderness. She tried to hammer her fists at his back, desperately venting out her frustration, but her fatigue and despondence overwhelmed her senses. She slowly sank into his warm chest, sobbing harder and harder, screaming till her voice broke, and clenching her fists so tight she dug bloody trenches from her palm.

"I'm not going to tell you everything is going to be okay, because to you, it won't be." Naruto cooed into her ear. "But I will promise you this. As long as I live, I won't let you suffer this pain alone. I won't let you go through what I went through. If you're unhappy, tell me and I'll cry with you till the sun rises. If you want a hug, I'll hold on to you until you fall asleep. If you want someone to talk to, I'll be more than happy to chat with you till the winter comes."

Kara stifled her sobs, allowing the blond to wipe the tears staining her redden cheeks. "W-Why? Why do you care so much? I'm nobody to you!"

Naruto shook his head and he offered her a bright smile. "Loneliness is a terrible poverty that nobody should go through. I endured one too many to know what it's like to smile when I'm sad, that's why I don't want anybody to go through it, because that pain could drive anybody insane. I won't let you go through it, Kara."

The Kryptonian stared blankly at the blond. "Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep."

"I never break a promise."

Grail sighed heavily and squatted beside Kara. "All that crying must have made you hungry. I'll bring you upstairs to get you washed up. In the meanwhile, Naruto can cook us breakfast."

The blond pouted. "Oh? You're the big boss now?"

"Stop bitching, Naruto!" Grail chided, hoisting Kara to her feet. "Go cook us some ramen before I get the squirrel from Ice Age to bite your nut-sacks off!

Naruto would have slapped Grail's forehead for her impudence if she wasn't carrying a distraught Kara. When the girls had left the living room, the blond let out a chuckle and shook his head, his hands were on his waist. "That girl would be the death of me."

 _ **"You are a death of me too."**_

 _"Shut up, fluff."_

 _ **"W-What? What did you just call me? Are you itching for a beating? COME DOWN HERE AND LET ME SHOVE THIS LAMP POST UP YOUR -"**_

 _"Shutting off communication_." Naruto grinned.

 _ **"Oi! OI! DON'T YOU DARE PUSSY OUT -"**_

The blond smiled and ambled to the kitchen. "No matter what, tomorrow will be better."

* * *

A red Bentley Continental GT pulled over right beside the porch of Naruto's countryside house. When the engine died down, Diana stepped out of her expensive convertible and removed her Prada sunglasses, gazing nonchalantly at the morning sun. As if on cue, the iPhone in her pocket started buzzing.

She pulled the device out, took a brief glance at the caller ID, and picked up the call. "Yes?"

After listening to what she was told, confusion was plastered on her beautiful features. "You want me to kill Naruto Uzumaki?"

* * *

 **Author note: Thanks for the warm support. I'm glad to know that you guys like the whole notion of Naruto being a doctor. Anyway, I know that some of you readers are concern about my status and why didn't I update some of my stories. Truth is, I'm currently working and studying at the same time. I'm only writing when I got time to spare, but don't worry, because writing is a passion to me, so I'm not going to stop writing.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, DC Comics, and the song 'Skinny Love' by Birdy/Bon Iver.**

Pairings:  
1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoXGrail  
3.) NarutoXBarda  
4.) NarutoXPoison Ivy  
5.) NarutoXKara  
6.) NarutoXHarem

Drop a review and let me know what you think!


	3. A Smile Before The Storm

Naruto clicked his tongue in disgust, shaking his head and averting his gaze from the sight of Grail and Kara chomping down five bowls of Honey Nuts Cheerio, six bowls of chashu ramen, eight plates of egg benedict, and four glasses of Hong Kong-style milk tea. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the blond took a sip from his Americano and let out a grunt. "If this keeps up, I'm gonna go broke very, very soon."

Kara actually had the decency to blush, tidying her dishevelled hair and wiping the blemishes from the edge of her lips as a mean to hide her lack of etiquette.

Grail, on the other hand, stuck her tongue out at the blond. "Suck it up, Naruto. Now, you have to deal with Kara and me. I almost felt sorry for you. Almost."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Naruto gazed at the cheeky Grail with eyes of disbelief. "You do know that I'm the dictator of his household, right? I'm the tyrant Aladeen, this house is my Wadiya, and you're -"

"I'm Megan Fox? O-Oh wait! I'm Anna Faris!" Grail pointed a finger at herself, her eyes sparkling with hope and glee. "Right? Right?"

"No." Naruto shuddered a little too obvious, demolishing Grail's pride in the process. "You're the annoying assistant who never fails to get on my nerve. You -" The blond glanced at Kara and pointed a finger at her, who suddenly sat upright. "- better don't learn all the bad habits from Grail. She's a bad influence."

"Oi!" Grail protested. "Don't make me look like a burden."

Kara kept her hands tucked underneath her knees and fidgeted her thighs. "Umm… I thought about it. I don't wish to impose. It will make me a freeloader or some sort, so -"

Naruto grinned and interjected. "Don't worry, you ain't gonna freeload on us. You're gonna learn about how this world works, and how do you do that better than to have you work in my clinic as an assistant nurse. Grail has been my nurse for a very long time, so she'll show you the ropes."

Apprehension and anxiousness were written on Kara's face as she snuck a peak at Grail, who was devouring her milk tea with vigour. The Kryptonian shifted her sight to Naruto and scratched her scalp. "Nurse? C-Clinic? I don't quite understand. Are you some form of healer?"

The blond blinked, his curiosity was piqued. "Yeah, sort of. Don't you have doctors back in your world?"

"We don't need… doctors. Our civilisation is well advance enough to cure any diseases and illnesses with our machine. My father is the pioneer of biomedical technology. My mother is the architect and chief engineer for nanotechnology." Kara smiled sadly. "In fact, that is how my parents met each other. The collaboration of their work led them to give birth to me."

Naruto leaned against the kitchen counter. "Then I guess your spaceship crashed at the right place. This world doesn't have some wonder-machine that can cure all illnesses. This world needs doctors who can help save people. It'll humble you down a peg when you realise that there is no Deus ex machina when it comes to saving lives. In this planet, we are hope."

It was at that moment the doorbell rang, startling them.

Grail arched a brow and stared at Naruto. "The clinic's opening hours hasn't started yet."

"Could be emergency." The blond shrugged and ruffled his morning hair, which really looked like it got permed. "I'll go get the door."

Whoever was outside the door must really lacked patience, because the doorbell kept ringing, much to Naruto's annoyance. "Coming! Just stop pressing that damn thing!"

When he pulled open the door, he was taken aback by who was standing before him. "You are…"

Diana narrowed her eyes, her statuesque form was concealed by her crimson Hermes jacket draped over her shoulders. Her eyes whipped up and down, gazing with revulsion at the sight of Naruto's squalid form. His face was unshaved, his rumpled shirt was missing a few buttons, and his Billabong board shorts were worn slapdash. "Can I come in?"

"Uh -"

Without waiting for a response, Diana strode past a befuddled Naruto and barged into the premise, much to his astonishment. "W-Wait, I didn't say you can come in -"

"What a cosy place you got in here. I actually checked the address twice when I reached your doorstep. I must applaud you for turning a rundown house into a place for medical practice. Inadequate, but it will suffice, I guess." Diana said sarcastically, surveying every crook and cranny of the home office set-up with indifference. "You're quite a famous chap actually. The whole town talks about you. They said you would go the extra mile just to make sure your patients are safe and healthy. Very admirable indeed."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and placed a hand on his hip. "You sound as if you aren't convinced."

Diana spun around, her billowy hair danced in the air and her arms crossed under her ample bosom. "No, I'm not. I don't even believe if you're a legitimate doctor, but for the sake of my job, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

Scratching his temples, Naruto raised a brow. "You do know I have a medical license, right?"

"Having a medical license and being a proper physician are two separate things." The brunette narrowed her eyes. "If such a simple notion doesn't get through to you, then you are not fit to be a doctor."

The blond let out a yawn and dismissed the Amazonian princess with nonchalance, strolling past her as he dug his ear. "If you're not here to see a doctor, then please leave. I really don't like receiving lectures, especially early in the morning when I haven't even brushed my teeth yet."

At that, Diana's beautiful face was contorted with disgust. "Do you even comprehend the importance of having basic hygiene? And you have the audacity to call yourself a doctor? Hey! Stop ignoring me! Are you listening to me?" The brunette trailed after the blond, who was ignoring her for the most part. "Are you not going to stop walking?"

Suddenly, Naruto did a 180 spin and turned to Diana, catching her by surprise. Thanks to Diana's years of being a veteran warrior, she had garnered enough self-control to stop herself from yelping indignantly like a school girl, retaining a placid composure hastily in the process like nothing had happened. Naruto, however, was no fool; he could perceive consternation and shock from her micro-expressions.

"You know…" Naruto grinned a Cheshire smile, studying her ocean blue eyes keenly. "Despite holding up a dragon lady exterior, I see a beautiful soul who sincerely wants to help the defenceless. You do volunteer work at homeless shelters, no?"

The blond boldly leaned forward, earning him a satisfactory cry from Diana. "W-What are you -"

"Now that I managed to have a good look at you, I notice you look quite different in the morning and in the afternoon."

Diana's posture was rigid, but she stood her ground firmly. "And why is that?"

Naruto threw his hands behind his back and sucked in air, his impish grin was still tugged at his lips. "The first time we met was a late afternoon, yeah? Now that the morning sun shines at your face, I can't help but notice that you look extraordinarily pretty. But, in the afternoon, you're just awfully pretty. Why is that? I wonder…"

Diana's jaw was left unhinged, unsure of how she should respond to Naruto's shameless coquetry. Countless guys had attempted to court her due to her pulchritudinous qualities, but she had rejected them crudely. She was a physician, top in her field for her part, so it was safe for her to say that she understood what kind of perverse thoughts men were thinking.

Men could propose their love to her one day, but on the very next day, they would change their mind, and the problem was that they were being brutally honest for both days. Her mother had warned her about the chauvinistic nature of men. They were flicker-minded creatures who only sought to sedate their lust and it was something Diana could not fathom, but there was something abnormal about Naruto Uzumaki.

She was cognisant of the fact that his light-hearted tease didn't imply his infatuation for her. By the Gods, the mischief gleaming in his bright sapphire eyes and the warm smile he carried made her realised one thing. Naruto displayed a lackadaisical attitude towards life, but the benevolence in his eyes could only be acquired from overcoming tremendous hardship, and that was something she could respect.

Shaking out of her thoughts, Diana delivered a swift slap across Naruto's face.

"Oww! What the hell is that for?" The blond looked at her incredulously, nursing his sore cheek while he was at it.

"That's for being a rotten bastard!" Righteous fury was burning in Diana's eyes. She didn't know why ire was overwhelming her, but she regained enough of her senses to tidy her blouse and looked dignified. "Anyway -"

"What's with all the fuss?" Grail emerged from the kitchen, but dumbfounded when she locked eyes with an impassive Diana. "Y-You!"

Diana blinked. "So, you live with this insufferable man?"

Much to Naruto's chagrin, Grail nodded sadly and her tone went dramatically down. "Yeah, this man tortures me every day."

The blond gasped, almost let out a screech of dismay as he pointed a finger at the daughter of Darkseid. "Does she look like a tortured soul to you? If anybody is being tortured in this house, it's me! I wake up every morning just to cook breakfast for her! I even wash her underwear sometimes! Me! Doctor Uzumaki of the great Uzumak Clinic is washing someone's friggin' underwear!"

 _ **"Heh! What a loser."**_

 _"SHUT THE FUC -"_

Diana quirked a grin. "So, what are you to him?"

"Me?" Grail pointed a finger at herself. "Well, I'm his -"

"She's my little sister." Naruto rest his elbow atop Grail's head, who pouted infuriatedly.

Kara took that moment to amble into the living room in her bunny slippers, surprising Diana. "And she is?"

"Oh." The blond grinned, improvising a white lie effortlessly as he jabbed with his thumb at Kara's direction. He threw his hand over the Kryptonian's slender shoulders and pulled her close to his chest. Kara didn't know why her heart was racing, but she kept her gaze demurely down at her toes. "I have two sisters. This one just came back from Sweden."

Grail rolled her eyes. "I take it that you're not here to see a doctor, since you are one yourself, so why are you here?"

Diana flipped her hair gracefully to the back of her shoulder, pulled a nearby chair, and took a seat. Her authoritative pose and the gravitas she emanated made her a force to be reckoned with, at least for Grail and Kara, but Naruto simply beamed at her, unaffected by her domineering aura. "I am here to get Doctor Uzumaki to join Paragon Metropolis Hospital. Please bear in mind that this is the third time in the entire history of our hospital that we actively seek out doctors to recruit, so be honoured that I'm doing this."

Grail cocked a brow. "Oh? So who are the unfortunate souls who got recruited actively by your hospital."

"I can't disclose to you who the first were, but I happen to be the second _unfortunate_ soul who got recruited by the hospital."

The daughter of Darkseid looked away sheepishly.

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear to your boss, didn't I?" Naruto interjected. "I'm not joining your hospital."

Diana shook her head, took out a file from her Fendi bag, and dropped it on the table. "This is a scholarship application form done by our hospital. I'm sure you have heard of our Paragon Scholarship Program, right Miss Grail?"

"Y-Yes." Grail nodded weakly. "It's a prestigious scholarship that is awarded to only ten students every year."

"Yes." Diana grinned. "We are willing to award the scholarship to you, if your big brother is willing to join our ranks."

Naruto nursed his forehead and sighed. "That is plain dirty."

"Are you still adamant about refusing our offer?" Diana supplied. "No matter how stubborn you are, you can't possibly reject a chance for your sister to study in Harvard without caring for her tuition fees. Furthermore, this scholarship grants her the opportunity to land a job in our hospital. If she achieves distinction in her coursework, she will be able to enter into any residency program without competing with others."

It sounded too good to be true, and according to Naruto's philosophy, there was no such thing as free lunch in this world. Folding his arms, Naruto smacked his lips, tilted his head, and narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch? Why does your boss want me to work for your hospital so much?"

"You have a decent resume." Diana answered.

"Is that it?" The blond was sceptical. "I'm sure there are plenty of doctors out there who have decent resume too. Why me?"

"You were a Harvard graduate, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Medical Corps, a volunteer doctor in rural countries, and a current general practitioner in the outskirt of Metropolis. I have done my homework. You gave a hefty sum of subsidies for the poor and elderly who come and visit you. If that isn't considered an impressive resume, I don't know what is." Diana smiled. "So, what do you think? I see no reason why you would incur any losses if you join us."

 _ **"Don't get fooled by the wench. Her boss is the one you should look out for."**_

 _"You still haven't told me what or who that man is."_

 _ **"They call him the Spectre. He ain't Daniel Craig, but he is a primordial force of nature, created by God to be the apparition of His holy wrath. Sounds very biblical, I know, but it is the truth. The Spectre is given the power and right to go all Old Testament on all creations if he wants to. He has enough power to rival you. No, he could even be more powerful than you. Hard to say really. It's not really an apple to apple comparison."**_

Naruto let out a frustrated grunt and sighed. _"But I can't just say no to her when she could offer Grail a better education. I can't be selfish like that. If a better education for Grail can possibly divert her rage to something else, I have to try it."_

 _ **"You're really going to be the death of us, Naruto. This is a straight-up trap, schemed by the Spectre to keep you monitored twenty-four-seven. If you go along with it, he's gonna play Big Brother on you like a perv. You okay with that?"**_

The blond smiled. _"If it's for Grail's future, I'll do it."_  
 _ **  
"Naruto -"**_

Naruto coughed into his hand. "I'll only go along with your shenanigan under one condition."

Kurama sighed aloud and shook his snout. _**"Hashtag: dicks out for Spectre."**_

"Oh?" Diana raised a brow, a triumphant smile graced her lips. "What is it?"

* * *

CIA's Deputy Director Amanda Waller sliced her medium-rare steak apart and brought the meat into her mouth. Wiping her lips with the napkin, she surveyed the posh restaurant that was furnished with ornate decor, but was devoid of patrons; the entourage of secret service agents guarding every possible entrance to the premise didn't count.

Taking a glimpse of her Cartier watch, she clicked her tongue in annoyance. "He's ten minutes late. As usual."

As if on cue, the oaken door swung open, allowing a platoon of soldiers from Delta Force to march in. Lieutenant General Samuel Lane strolled into the haute restaurant with a Montecristo cigar in his mouth and a permanent scowl on his face. He took a bee-line towards the CIA executive and sat on his seat, not bothering to exchange any pleasantry. "What is it you want, Waller? I hope you didn't drag me out here just to waste my time."

"I can assure you I won't." Amanda narrowed her eyes, but kept her cool. "The Secretary of Defence is restless, _Lane_. Project 'Beauty and the Beast' is supposed to be completed last month. This is way past its due date. I'm afraid the Secretary of Defence can't keep our little project a secret for long. If the President demands, we might have to disclose all the confidential files regarding the project."

The general crossed his arms. "My daughter was in a coma when she became the subject of the experiment. She needs time!"

"I know that, you know that, but do you think the Secretary of Defence cares?" Waller growled. "My subjects have already finished the last trial of their experiments. You are dragging us down, Lane!"

At that, the infuriated general slammed a hand on the table, alarming the secret service agents. "Don't you dare talk crap to me, Waller! The only reason I agreed to this partnership is because it is the only way to save my daughter! Do you think I'm hyped to know that turning my daughter Lucy into a monster is the only way for her to live?"

The cutthroat government agent grinned. "The aim of this project is to defend our world from monsters. And to do that, we need monsters on our sides. Major Lucy Lane was supposed to be K.I.A during her tour in Iraq. Not only will the outcome of this project grants your daughter a second chance to live, but it will make her… a Superwoman. We need powerhouse like that in our arsenal to combat against extra-terrestrial threats. Threats that are not intimidated by an AH-46 Apache Helicopter or a M109 Paladin Howitzer. Hell, I don't even know if the threats are even incapable of being intimidated."

Samuel raised a brow. "Threats? You mean ex-Lieutenant Colonel Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Oh, he is more than just a threat." Amanda poked her prime beef with her fork and glared at the general. "There were many… unnatural encounters during Lieutenant Colonel Uzumaki's stay as a medical officer in Afghanistan. His infamous battle against the Taliban was terrifying enough that the President has to personally interfere with the matter. One of the soldiers who were trapped alongside Lieutenant Colonel Uzumaki was -"

"My daughter." The general gritted his teeth as he completed Amanda's statement. "Is this the reason why my daughter is chosen to be one of the lab-rat for your experiment?"

The CIA Deputy Director wagged a disapproving finger at Samuel, further fuelling his chagrin. "Not exactly. You see, everybody has a weakness. You could be the President of Russia or a monk from Tibet, regardless… everybody has a weakness. My job is to leverage on that weakness. It is to my understanding that Major Lucy Lane had a secret affair with Lieutenant Colonel Uzumaki."

Samuel widened his eyes in dismay, comprehending the extent of his dilemma. "No! Impossible! My daughter -"

"Your daughter shall be the key to our victory, Lieutenant General!" Amanda barked, silencing the furious veteran. "Our country's safety and wellbeing should always be your first priority. You of all people must know that! We don't have the luxury to stay idle and do nothing against a looming threat that could possibly devastate our world! Need I remind you that we have a greater responsibility, General! Lieutenant Colonel Naruto Uzumaki is the most dangerous man in this planet. His powers are beyond comprehension! If we don't strike when the iron is hot, we'll never win!"

"You want to use Lucy to get to that… thing?"

Amanda nodded, a remorseless and cruel smile plastered on her features. "Now do you understand why the project is called… Beauty and the Beast?"

* * *

Kara was lost. She couldn't fathom how Grail was able to pick up incessant calls, tend to anxious patients' needs, escort patients to the doctor's room, aid the doctor with mundane chores, and prescribe medication without hitching her breathe. Grail was all over the clinic, yet her movements were fluid and graceful, as if she was dancing the ballet.

Tying her hair into a bun, Kara straightened herself and greeted an elderly woman with a cheery, albeit uneasy smile. "G-Good morning! Welcome to Uzumaki Clinic. How can we help you today?"

"Who are you? Where is Miss Grail?" The elderly woman asked crudely, much to Kara's apprehension.

"Umm…"

Grail poked her head from the doctor's office and beamed at the elderly woman. "Madam Hernandez? What brings you here?"

The identified Madam Hernandez grinned at the jubilant Grail and lifted a basket of oranges. "This is for you and Doctor Uzumaki."

"W-What?" Grail skipped towards the Hispanic woman and waved her head heatedly. "We can't accept this!"

"Take it!" Madam Hernandez yelled, startling Kara, who mistook the woman's gratefulness for rage. "If it weren't for you and Doctor Uzumaki, my grandson would not have survived his fever! You two spent three days, three nights attending to my poor nieto! I can't even imagine what would happen if the two of you don't live in this town! Please, take it! This is just a small token!"

Grail scratched the back of her head and giggled. "Okay! I'll keep it, but that's only because you insist."

"I chose the best oranges from my farm, Miss Grail! You and Doctor Uzumaki must try it!" The Hispanic woman seized Grail's hand, handed the basket to her, and gave her hand a light squeeze, bowing politely while she was at it. "I didn't have the opportunity to express how grateful my family are. If you and Doctor Uzumaki wants the best oranges, just come to me. I'll give you a whole basket for free."

"You're too kind." Grail smiled softly.

The Hispanic woman turned to Kara and stared curiously at the Kryptonian. "She is…?"

"Oh!" Throwing her hand over Kara's shoulders, Grail grinned at the elderly woman. "This is Kara. She's my long-lost sister! Today is her first day helping out in the clinic. Good thing though. I won't need to be a one-woman-army around here with her around."

"Oh! I see!" Madam Hernandez smiled at Kara. "You are just as beautiful as your sister."

The Kryptonian only chuckled and kept her gaze fixated at her toes.

"I won't bother you seeing patients. Take care of yourself, Miss Grail. And you too, Miss Kara."

"I'll see you out." Grail beamed and walked the Hispanic woman out of the clinic. After waving her goodbyes at Madam Hernandez, Grail strolled back briskly to Kara and tilted her chin at the basket of oranges resting on the floor. "Keep some oranges in the fridge and store the rest into the storeroom. We'll be distributing it to the local orphanages next Sunday."

Kara nodded with a melancholy expression gracing her face and brought the basket into the pantry. Grail shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose; she empathised with Kara. Just like the dreary Kryptonian, Grail was lost and depressed on her first day of work in the clinic. Her mind was only bombarded by the painful image of her deceased mother.

In her doleful episode of self-loathing and despondence, the cheery Naruto was always there for her. When her thoughts were bleak, Naruto would bring her out for ramen. When she was mournful, Naruto would stay by her side and let her wept into his chest. When she was mortified by her nightmare, Naruto would hug her to sleep, almost like a lover would.

Naruto was her happiness, her miracle, and the reason why she could climb out of the abyssal pit of poignancy; she didn't even know what to do if the ever-loving and bodacious blond wasn't there by her side. Grail could comprehend what Kara was going through and she would be damned to let her suffer the way she did. When Kara walked out from the bowel of the pantry, Grail pulled her into her embrace, startling the weary Kryptonian. "W-What are you -"

"It is okay, Kara." The daughter of Darkseid patted Kara's back kindly. "I know you're scared. You find yourself lost in a new environment. You didn't know how to fit in. You want out, but you don't know where to start. I want you to know this."

Grail pushed the Kryptonian gently and smiled cheerfully at her. "If you're sad, I want you to come to me or Naruto. Don't bottle everything inside your heart, got it?"

Kara blinked. "I…"

"Your eyes are meant to shed tears, so don't supress it. It's unhealthy. You want to have a good cry, I'll cry with you."

The Kryptonian looked away. "Do I look that sad to you?"

"It doesn't matter if your sadness is conspicuous or not. You're my sister now and we're living under one roof. You're family to me. And I hate it when my family is hurt or upset." Grail grinned and clicked her teeth. "Besides, if you're not one percent focus in the game, you're bound to mess up in your work. We are the doctor's assistants. We can't afford to mess up. One silly mistake might cost someone's life."

Kara cocked an eyebrow, noticing Grail's tone was awfully sombre. "Did something happen?"

The daughter of Darkseid shook her head. "I did something that I could not forgive myself, not till this day."

Heaving a heavy sigh, Grail elaborated. "Three years ago, I was just a stupid brat. I was lazy, rebellious, and very much like Rachel McAdams from Mean Girls, not that you have watched that movie. We should watch that movie together someday. Anyway, I found working in the clinic tedious. I started whining. I even had an argument with Naruto about it. So, when Naruto prescribed dextromethorphan for a mother of two, I carelessly gave the mother benzonatate."

Perplexed about the foreign drug terms, Kara scratched her temples. "Umm…"

"Dextromethorphan and benzonatate are both prescribed as cough medication." Grail clenched her quavering fist and took in a deep breathe. "I thought nothing of it and gave the mother benzonatate. I didn't know she has severe allergies to para-aminobenzoic acid, which is one of the major compound within benzontate. She… went into cardiac arrest right after consuming the tablets."

Kara brought her hand to her lips and gasped. "Did she…?"

"Fortunately, no." Grail smiled sadly. "Naruto saved her and managed to make her regurgitate the drug. Truth is… I almost killed a mother of two small children. Do you understand now, Kara? My stupidity and ignorance almost cost two innocent children their precious mother. Naruto slapped me out of my senses, quite literally, but it was a good wake-up call for me. I won't be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life if something were to happen to the mother. From that day onwards, I swore never to commit any more mistakes."

Placing a comforting hand on Kara's shoulders, Grail winked. "That's enough bedtime story for today. We still have some patients to tend to, but I'll cut you some slack for today. Go to the doctor's office and assist him."

* * *

Naruto never dressed like how a doctor should, bringing sexy back with his black tank top and blue jeans; all he lacked was having Justin Timberlake singing twenty-four seven in the background. Removing the disc-shaped resonator from the elderly man's chest, Naruto hung his stethoscope around his neck and smiled warmly at the patient. "You should have come to me earlier for your migraine, Mister Sienfield. I'll prescribe you some Ibuprofen and I want you to come back to me if the pain persists."

It was at that moment Kara walked into office, gazing quizzically at them. "Umm, Grail wanted me to assist you, Naruto."

The blond beamed. "Good, can you write down our clinic's telephone number on a piece of paper and give it to Mister Sienfield. He has presbyopia, so he'll find it hard to read things without reading glasses. Be sure to write it in big fonts, yeah?"

Kara nodded, scribbling down furiously on her notepad. She tore the piece of paper with the clinic's telephone number written on it and handed it to Mister Sienfield.

"You are so thoughtful, Doctor Uzumaki." The elderly patient smiled nervously. "Doctor, can I get more medicine for my high blood pressure? I'm running out of it."

Typing down the request into his computer, Naruto nodded with a gentle smile and placed an assuring hand on the patient's shoulder. "Of course. I was waiting for you to come back to me to get more medication. Do you still drink alcohol?"

At that, Mister Sienfield looked sheepishly away. "I…"

"Mister Sienfield, I'm your doctor, not your nanny." Naruto chided. "At your current state, taking alcohol will interfere with the reactivity and function of your medicine. How many times must I tell you not to drink anymore."

"It was only just a few sips."

"A few sips could be deadly too!" The blond reprimanded.

Mister Sienfield let out a heavy sigh. He was born a farmer, barely educated, but had a heart of gold. He was the type of man who would distribute bags of produce to the needy for charity. He was a widow too; his wife left him a decade ago. They didn't have kids, so he was very much alone. "Doctor, I know you mean well, but I'm old now. It doesn't matter to me if I die today or next week. I just…"

Naruto stared grimly at his desk, comprehending the elderly man's perspective. A warm smile curled at his lips as his demeanour changed. "There are still people who cares for you, Mister Sienfield. How about this. Once your health is getting better, I'll treat you to dinner and some Jim Beam, yeah?"

"You promise?" The elderly man looked hopeful.

"I never break a promise. Have a good day, Mister Sienfield." Naruto chuckled as his frail patient gave him a node of gratitude. The blond gestured Kara to escort the patient out of his office, beaming light-heartedly as the Kryptonian scrambled her way to elderly man's side.

Kara gently lifted the patient's arm, hoisting him to a standing position with tender care, and walked him out of the office. When she returned into the office, the Kryptonian raised a brow and tilted her head. "I don't understand. Didn't you proclaim to him that alcohol will be detrimental to his health, yet you are offering him alcohol? I don't understand the paradox."

Naruto smiled. "Being a doctor is not all about saving patients or curing diseases. We must never forget that the quality of life for our patient is important too. Mister Sienfield has nobody to talk to at home. His wife passed away nine years ago. They didn't have kids because his wife was sterile, so when his wife died from stage four breast cancer, he had no reason to live anymore. Yes, it is true that alcohol is not something he should take, but if it can make him a little happier, after his health improves, I guess a little sip won't kill."

Hugging her notepad to her chest, Kara blinked, trying to avoid staring at Naruto's bulging biceps. "So alcohol substance is a form of stress relief for Mister Sienfield?"

"In a sense, yes. I can't totally blame him for it, but he is a good man, so I don't really want to see his health deteriorated because of it. It's complicated, I'll teach ya next time." Naruto grinned. "So, how is your first day at work? Are you coping well?"

"Yes." The Kryptonian smiled weakly. "Grail has been very kind to me."

"Heh." The blond chuckled. "I'm glad to know that runt isn't bullying you."

"No, no!" Kara shook her head fervently. "Grail has been very nice to me. She even told me to open up to her if I'm unhappy. I… I really like her."

Naruto flashed a thumbs-up to Kara, who was actually puzzled by the hand-sign. Noticing her confusion at his gesture, Naruto let out a jovial chuckle. "This means 'good' in earth language."

The blond turned to his computer and typed the prescription into his database, only to realise that the Kryptonian was staring at him rather intensely. He shifted his attention to her and gave her attire an appraising look, but his gaze swiftly went up to meet hers. "You look like you have something to say. Fire away."

Kara chewed her lower lip and fidgeted a bit. "Why are you trying to make me fit in? We can't we expose ourselves to them? I'm sure we can do some good for them?"

Grail took that opportunity to interrupt, scoffing with stifled exasperation at Kara's naivety. "Stephen Hawking once said that if aliens were to visit us, the outcome would most probably be similar to how Columbus landed in America. Look how it turned out for the Natives American. Since you're not familiar with the history of this country, I'll break it down to you. Humans would be afraid of you, Kara, as would they be afraid of me and Naruto. We are far too powerful for their comprehension. They would perceive us as threats."

"But -"

"There is no but, Kara!" Grail bellowed, surprising Naruto and petrifying Kara in the process. "You mustn't tell them our secrets! The human mind is fragile, easily tempted by fear and delusion, easily warped by anger and confusion. My mother…"

"Enough." Naruto stood up from his seat, sauntered to Grail, and wrapped his arms around the trembling girl. "Kara, humans are not ready for us."

"But you saved people's lives." Kara reasoned. "Surely they can see that side of you."

The blond chuckled. "It doesn't matter how many lives I saved. It doesn't change the fact that we are different. Let's drop this matter and focus on what's important. I see that you don't really have your own wardrobe. Let's go shopping. After that, we can go grab ourselves some ice cream. I know this shop that sells awesome ice cream. It's something you should definitely try."

Kara raised a brow. "Ice cream?"

Grail pushed herself away from Naruto and smiled, albeit weakly, at the kryptonian. "Yeah, let's -"

It was then an unfamiliar voice intruded the conversation. "Are you Doctor Naruto Uzumaki?"

The trio turned their attention to the office's doorway, only to encounter a beautiful woman whose stunning look could grace any magazine cover, but was in a Roman gladiator getup. Naruto narrowed his eyes with piqued curiosity, amused by the sight of what seemed to be the splitting image of grumpy and hot Diana, but this one seemed to have a fetish with kinky dress-up.

 _ **"Whoa! This one is sending out danger signals at us!"**_ Kurama commented.

 _"Do you think she is Diana's sister?"_

 _ **"Meh, I don't want to find out."**_

She sauntered confidently towards Naruto, her hawk-like eyes were filled with unwavering conviction and her head held high, as if regarding others beneath her attention. Unsheathing the sword stashed behind her back, she stood a good arm-length distance before the unfazed blond, glaring with the ferocity of a tiger at her target. "Do I need to repeat myself? Are you Doctor Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto shrugged. "Who's asking?"

"I will take that as a yes." The woman grinned. "I am Donna Troy of Themyscira. Your end is now."

Perceiving the bloodlust radiating from the Amazonian, Grail's eyes were blazing in fire, but Naruto had squashed the tension with a light-hearted chuckle. "I'm sorry if my assistant forgot to book you for an appointment. Are you here to see a doctor?"

Donna blinked. "Technically, yes."

Naruto turned sharply to Grail and chided. "How could you forget about our patient's appointment? Huh? What did I tell you about being attentive to your work?"

"B-But -" The confused daughter of Darkseid pointed a finger at the equally confused Amazonian. "She is trying to -"

"Kara." The blond smiled. "We're going shopping after I see our last patient of the day."

"Umm…" Even Kara detected the hostility reeking from Donna, so she was unsure if Naruto was oblivious of the looming threat or was he playing.

"I see that you're wearing a costume." Naruto's eyes went up and down, scanning Donna's outfit with a Cheshire grin. "Did you attend a party last night? Too much to drink, I suppose?"

In a haste, Diana bolted into the room, panic and consternation was splashed on her beautiful face. "Donna, No!"

Donna gritted her teeth, her fists were balled till her knuckles went white. Her expression went dark as she glanced vehemently at the astonished blond, who had not once exuded even a tiniest trace of fear. Shaking her head, she raised her sword and let out a war cry. "I'll claim your head and present it as a trophy to mother! Then, and only then, will I be the worthy daughter!"

"…is this Shakespeare?" Naruto asked, scratched his temples. "Are we practicing a play that I'm not aware of?"

Grail palmed her forehead. "Don't you get it, Naruto? She's -"

Without hesitation, Donna blitzed forward, her murderous intent flooding the room, petrifying Kara and Grail in the process. The deranged Amazonian was about to swing her sword, despite Diana's vociferation and protest, but as she fixated her intense gaze at her blond, she was unnerved. Naruto still had not expressed any fear in his eyes. He merely smiled placidly at Donna, as if not caring about his inevitable demise.

Letting out a roar, Donna brought her sword upon the unfazed Naruto.

Three things happened immediately.

They were no longer in their office, but on a costal meadow somewhere in the East Coast of Brazil.

Naruto caught the cold hard steel of Donna's sword between his index and middle fingers.

The gentle sea breeze that brushed across their skin and the heat of the scorching sun were real.

"H-How?" Diana gasped, staring in wonder and befuddlement at the ocean sparkling under the bright afternoon sun in Rio Grande do Norte. One moment, she was in the clinic, fearing the inevitable, and suddenly, she was standing on a plane of soft sand, overseeing the perfect scenery for a summer vacation. "By the gods! What sorcery is this? How did we -"

Clicking his tongue, Naruto shook his head. "I don't approve of needless violence, Miss Donna. And I definitely don't appreciate the fact that you were about to destroy my office in your reckless attempt to kill me. Do you know how long it took for me to build my office?"

Back in Naruto's mind, Kurama was jumping in joy, licking his teeth anxiously for a good fight. _**"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I've been waiting to kick ass for god knows how long! Fight club 101: you don't ever talk about it! Let's go all Rocky Balboa on these bitches!"**_

Donna tried to pry her sword off Naruto's grasp, but the damn thing just won't move! It was as if her sword was wedged firmly by a fixture. Growling in frustration, the Amazonian spat. "What are you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm just a doctor."

Letting his grip loose on the sword, Naruto sighed as Donna flew a good distance away from him. "I'll be nice and give you a chance to explain yourself. Why are you attacking me?"

"Does it matter?" The Amazonian felt her hands trembling.

"Assuming you are my to-be-murderer, I should at least know why my death is warranted, no?"

"The Gods demand it." Diana was the one who answered. She stared grimly at the blond, conflicted by turmoil. She, too, didn't agree with her mother's abrupt and ruthless command. The Queen of Themyscira has demanded explicitly the death of Naruto Uzumaki. There were no justification, no explanation, and no basis to the order.

It was true that Diana was born to lead her people, bestowed upon the Gods of Olympus with tremendous powers. However, combat wasn't everything to her. She despised the life of a warrior, despite the fact that she was good at killing. Really good actually, but that wasn't the life she wanted. She felt empty, even when her fellow sisters eulogised her unrivalled strength and worshipped the path she walked.

But, when she saved lives, she felt a thrill like never before. When she saw the smile of gratitude from the parents of a boy she saved, when the wife of a husband who met a horrible accident thanked her in sobs, when she resuscitated an infant girl from cardiac arrest, she felt alive. For once, she knew very clear the purpose of her life was. She wanted to help people like that, so when her mother wanted her to execute a man she knew nothing about, it didn't sit quite well with her.

Naruto glanced up, disgust and frustration were contorted on his features. "Ah, those pesky things with their superiority complex. I never really like them in the first place."

The blond shook his head, his warm blue eyes that were filled with life were illuminating a dangerous blue, and he turned his attention to Donna. "You are merely a pawn, but I will not pity you. Sympathy is not what you need. You deserve my respect, warrior."

A column of white energy crashed upon Naruto, sending the earth in a trembling mess. If the magnitude 5.8 earthquake wasn't frightening enough, the thunderclouds in the air were a swirling vortex, as if hell was finally on earth. Diana and Donna were stupefied by the sheer power expelled from Naruto, who was harnessing tremendous energy from the heavens and the earth.

Lightning bombarded the sea, evoking a series of deafening explosion that shook the meadow to its core. Fire and brimstone rose from the cracks of the moist soil, allowing gushes of geysers to burst from the depths of the planet. The tremors could be felt from a ten miles radius. The cataclysmic disasters only grew in intensity as Naruto unsealed his powers. A ring of black spheres hovered behind his back as the apparition of a colossal beasts manifested in the air.

It was confounding, yet frightening to the Amazonians. How could someone who possess transcendental powers, and possibly smite them effortlessly, smiled at them like an angel? How could they feel intimidated and comforted at the same time? It was nerve-wrecking and downright confusing. Diana's jaw was unhinged as she stared at the phenomenon unfolding before her. "What have you done, sister?"

Grail looked up at the dark sky in terror, grasping Kara's shoulders while she was at it. "We need to go. Now!"

"W-What?"

"Naruto goes ape-shit insane when he fights. If you don't want your ass to get cooked, you shut your mouth and come with me!" The daughter of Darkseid wasted no time to carry Kara bridal style and soared in lightning speed away from the imminent battlefield.

With a flick of his wrist, the thick air and overwhelming pressure that pervaded the area were dissipated. Naruto tilted his head, his charming and gentle smile was still tugging at his lips as he beckoned Donna to administer the first strike. "Pardon my theatrics and the sudden bad weather. I don't think verbal persuasion is going to stop you from attacking me, so I won't bother to try. Come at me with all you got. In return, I will go all out on you."

Diana pulled her impulsive sister aside and growled. "Don't do it, Donna!"

"I don't want to hear this from you, sister! You're just holding me back because you don't want me to succeed! You've always been trying to stunt my growth!"

"No! How could you say that?" Hurt flashed across Diana's eyes as she stood before her mad sister. "Can't you see it? There's a reason why the gods want him dead! He's dangerous! We need to think this through!"

"I will have his head. If you're not with me, then move aside!" Donna shoved her sister violently away and lunged at a smiling Naruto.

* * *

 **Author note: Thank you for reading my story, showing your support through your kind reviews. I've been taking many inspirations from medical drama such as Doctor Stranger, Doctors, Doctors (Japanese version), and Doctor X. Yes, I watch too many medical drama. :D Please note that I based Donna from her New 52 version.**

Pairings:

1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoXGrail  
3.) NarutoXKara  
4.) NarutoXZatanna  
5.) NarutoXPoison Ivy  
6.) NarutoXBarda

Please let me know how you feel and review


	4. Wayward Queen

Jim Corrigan stood atop a cliff, overseeing the commotion with stifled glee. He couldn't even contain his excitement, and he would have laughed aloud if Ares didn't choose to show up at that very moment. He checked his Patek Philippe wristwatch, pleased that his accomplice was right on time. "You have fulfilled the end of your bargain, God of War."

"I have longed for this." Ares, in his black armour, stood proud and tall. "She is a bastard child of Zeus, unfit to ascend to godhood. I will not allow it. If you hadn't propose this plan to me, I would have struck that wench down myself and make her my slave."

"Don't get carried away, Ares." Jim grinned, his eyes glowing a dangerous green. "You may be War, but I am the Spectre. You feed on conflicts, injustice, and battles, but I erase them. If it weren't for my plans, I would have razed Olympus."

Ares scoffed. "I could care less about Olympus. Do what you want with it. I am merely here to prevent the prophecy from happening. Naruto Uzumaki is a cosmic threat, something in which Zeus has emphasised far too often. I have seen Naruto's battle capability. It excites me to know how powerful he is and what chaos he could bring about to this world. He is the perfect tool for me to get rid of that wench."

Jim rolled his eyes. "You never strike me as a coward, Ares, but I'm starting to have a change of opinion. You are afraid that one day… Diana would take your place as Goddess of War, huh?"

"She will never take my place!" The infuriated God of War seethed. "I won't let it! After she's gone, I'll lay waste to the Amazon."

"Careful there, Ares." The Spectre chuckled, his sinister voice reverberated in the air. "Diana is, after all, my employee. Unlike your good-for-nothing father who think he's Deuce Bigalow, I actually do see Diana as my own daughter. You, on the other hand, were on my naughty list for quite some time now, Ares. If you weren't any use to me, I might smite you just on basic principle. Do not tempt me."

At that, Ares calmed down. He might be powerful, but he was not foolish enough to challenge the Spectre to a duel. The God of War knew that it would take more than a World War Three to amass enough power to rival that of the Spectre's inconceivable might, and that was assuming if he could conjure that much power in the first place. However, the Spectre wasn't feared for his insurmountable strength, but his Machiavellianism.

He said no more and watched as Donna charged at Naruto.

* * *

"Show me what you're capable of, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Wait!" Naruto held up a hand, stopping Donna in her tracks. "Hold up!"

"What is it? Are you afraid now?" A sinister grin curled up at Donna's pink lips.

"I just feel… we're lacking some ambience." With a snap of his fingers, Elvis's Jailhouse Rock started playing from nowhere, startling the Amazonians. Naruto was grooving to the song, his cheeky smile only served to infuriate Donna. "Let's rock~ Everybody, let's rock!"

Naruto sidestepped a roundhouse kick delivered dexterously by Donna, who followed up with a low spinning sweep. The blond casually danced his way out of danger, skipping around the furious Amazon, who was swinging her blade haphazardly. Letting out a frustrated growl, Donna gracefully leaped to the air, twisted her body in mid-air, and launched a stunning butterfly kick that knocked the blond a few feet away.

Without hesitation, Donna regained her momentum, threw herself at the disorientated Naruto, and attempted to behead him with her hoisted blade. Rearing his fist, Naruto channelled his transcendental chakra into his appendage, empowering his attack in the process. Evading Donna's assault, Naruto thrust his fist with so much force that the speed of his punch broke the sound barrier, causing deafening shockwaves to erupt.

Like Moses splitting the red sea, the ungodly impact generated from Naruto's punch had cleaved the ocean in half. Diana was frightened when she witnessed the rippling shockwaves had obliterated faraway mountains and left an abyssal trench in the coast. Donna swallowed her saliva in consternation, her body trembled uncontrollably as she turned to Naruto's fist, which was inches away from her cheek.

"I missed that shot. I won't miss it again. Stand down, Donna."

"Never!"

"This is madness, sister!" Diana protested. "You have seen what he can do!"

Letting out a deranged war cry, Donna swung her sword in an attempt to eviscerate the blond, only for him to leap to the sky. Hovering in the air and gazing condescendingly down at the Amazonians, Naruto hoisted his hand. "Oh~ I can do much more. You two watched Skating with the Stars before? Never mind, I'll bring it live for you. Hyoton: Sankai Hyoketsu." **(Ice Release: Freeze the Three World)**

Cool mist was expelled from Naruto's mouth before the entire East Coast of Brazil, as well as the raging tsunami stirring from the ocean became a vast realm of frozen tundra. Diana and Donna didn't even had the opportunity to register their predicament or even utter out their horror when they were crystallised into ice sculptures, as if crafted by the White Witch of Narnia. Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Naruto shook his head and descended upon the pristine desert of white ice.

Glancing at the sky, Naruto gave an annoyed Grail and an astonished Kara a thumb-up.

As if on cue, Donna shattered her ice prison and bolted at the insouciant blond with reinvigorated rage. Not paying attention to the aggravated Amazonian, Naruto shielded himself from bring sliced apart by Donna's sword with his mere finger. "Last chance, Donna. Give up."

"Bite me." Donna seethed, venom was dripping from her tone. "I'm an Amazon, Princess of Themyscira and the rightful Queen of Paradise Island. A warrior do not run away from a fight. We Amazons are born to fight to the death. Once I'm victorious in our fight, I will be the worthy daughter, not Diana!"

"Why does it matter?" The blond sighed. "Your sister obviously loves you very much, but you're not reciprocating. Your ambition is blinding you, darling."

"You don't even know!"

The relentless Amazonian fluidly flipped in the air and fired a 540 crescent kick at the blond in an attempt to disorient him, who casually deflected the blunt of the force with his raised forearm. Inhaling deeply without needing to knead chakra, Naruto spat out a tsunami of hell's fire at a shocked Donna. "Katon: Goka Messhitsu." **(Fire Release: Majestic Demolisher)**

Naruto was like a dragon, spewing out raging inferno that devoured and incinerated everything in its warpath. The intensity of the flame almost instantly melted acres of ice, burning the atmosphere in the process. Donna jumped to the sky and shielded her face from the heat; it was then she realised Naruto wasn't manipulating the elements, nature was simply submitting to his will.

Landing to safety, Donna was not prepared to meet face to face with Naruto; she instinctively traded blows with the ferocious blond, whose fists were blazing with white fire. The Amazonian unleashed her arrays of sword dance, but she was confounded and petrified when her opponent countered her assault with his bare hands. He was unpredictable and aggressive in his bombardment of punches, and when his body combusted into pillar of azure flame, he did a tornado kick at her, raising geysers of fire that pierced the sky and torching the heavens.

Donna got blast away by the devastating impact, her limp body flew away like a ragdoll and crashed into a row of colossal timber trees. As she regained her bearings, the Amazonian climbed to her feet and glanced up, fury burning in her eyes as she glared daggers at the levitating blond.

Naruto however noticed an anomaly in Donna's eyes. _"Magic?"_

 _ **"Yeah, she's been mind-controlled by a higher power."**_ Kurama scratched his ear. _**"Genjutsu, I suppose. A high calibre one too. It could easily rival our Kotoamatsukami. That's probably why she can't comprehend reasons. Someone is programming her thoughts. I suggest you go all Kungfu Fighting on her ass and knock her out of her misery. Oh, wait, look out -"**_

In the midst of confusion, Naruto was caught off-guard when Diana appeared behind him, her sword fell at him. His impulses kicked in in the nick of time as he swapped places with a nearby icicle, preventing his supposedly disembowelment. Whistling in awe, Naruto dusted his clothes, a third eye ripped open from his forehead, revealing his Rinne Sharingan that was scintillating an ominous crimson. "You made me used Amenotejikara out of instinct. I'm impressed, Diana."

* * *

The Spectre was perturbed when he witnessed Naruto exposing his transcendental third eye. The Spirit of Vengeance had never felt trepidation until this day, because that eye was of primordial origin. His hand was trembling, something which Ares had noticed. "You look troubled, Spectre."

A sinister and disturbing grin found its way on Jim's face. "My man. This Naruto Uzumaki... he never ceases to amaze me."

Ares arched a brow. "Are you referring to that strange eye of his."

"That is no ordinary eye, God of War." Jim slotted his hands into his pocket and contained his chuckle. "That is the eye of the Decreator."

"Decreator?"

The Spectre rolled his eyes. "When the Almighty God created the multiverses, he said, 'Let there be light'. Just like that, stars were born and the galaxy was filled with light. However, when there is light, there will be darkness. The Decreator was born from the darkness. Some would say the Decreator is the shadow of God. It has only one duty and that is to stop the rapid expansion of all universes."

Rubbing his hands anxiously, Jim's smirk widened. "It all make sense now. I understood why God prohibits us from interfering with Naruto Uzumaki's life. This man harbours the power of the Decreator, that's why God did not make a script for him to follow. He is born to tear down the script God has made for all of us. It's ironic, isn't it? God is unable to remove the only thing that strives to undo all of his creations."

"Are you implying that Naruto Uzumaki is this... Decreator?"

Jim shook his head. "He merely possesses a fragment of the Decreator's power, but..."

* * *

"I don't know what you are, Naruto." Diana frowned; upon inspecting Naruto's peculiar third eye, which was leaking out malicious aura, it was safe for her to conclude that the blond was definitely not human. "But I swear on my honour as an Amazon that if you come willingly with me, I will plea to my mother for your life. Let's end this fight now, please."

"I will not have it!" Donna shrieked. "You're doing it again, sister! Always trying to steal my glory! Always trying to take what's rightfully mine! He is my kill, not yours!"

"Donna, stop -"

In a fit of rage, Donna raised her sword at her horrified sister.

"You'll will always be mother's favourite!" Donna bellowed, madness and inebriation were gleaming from her hazel eyes. "It has always been Diana this, Diana that. From the day you're born, mother has graced you with umpteen love. Everybody is supposed to bow before your greatness, but what about me? Where is the love that I deserved? But I'll change that, sister. Once I erase him and bring glory to our people, mother will see me as the worthy daughter!"

"Snap out of it, Donna!" Diana shook her deranged sister violently. "This isn't you!"

"No! You never know what I am. You never recognised me for who I was, but should I blame you for it? Would you recognise your own shadow?" Donna scoffed. "Nobody pays attention to their shadow. I am just a back-up plan, in case you fail to uphold your duties! But I will not allow myself to exist as a bargaining chip no more! From now onwards, I make my own decisions! I am Donna of Themyscrica, and I will be queen!"

"Donna, I -"

With brutal might, Donna smashed her fist across Diana's jaw, much to Naruto's shock. If Diana hadn't recovered almost immediately from the sucker punch, he would have intervened, but this was family matters. He had no right to interfere until things went terribly south. "I never wanted the throne! I only want to be your equal, Diana!"

"I will not fight you, sister!"

"You have no say in this! Since you're so adamant at stopping me from doing what I'm destined to do, then you are my enemy." Donna slashed at Diana with her sword, only to be deflected by her elder sister's blade. "Now fight me!"

Naruto scratched his temples and arched a brow. _"Wait, isn't she supposed to be fighting me?"_

 _ **"Who cares? You will not interrupt this cat-fight, Naruto! YOU WILL NOT TAKE THIS AWAY FROM ME! THERE ARE TWO HOT CHICKS WHO ARE ABOUT TO FIGHT TO THE GLORIOUS DEATH! This shit doesn't happen, okay? The only time I get to see this is when I'm watching Xenas, Games of Throne, and that phony WWE shit just to sate my girls fight fetish. Where is my caramel popcorn? WHERE IS IT?"**_  
 _  
"…You need help, Kurama. You need lots and lots of help."  
_  
Meanwhile, Diana was struggling to dodge Donna's barrage of maniacal assault; she had not once tried to strike her sister. Her vociferous protests had fallen on deaf ears as Donna intensified her array of attacks, even going as far as to aiming for the kill, much to Naruto's chagrin. With adroit strength, Diana clashed her blade against her sister's. "This is madness!"

"Is it?"

Diana's eyes widened in shock as searing pain bombarded her body. She glanced down at Donna's hand, which was plunged into her waist. She looked pleadingly back at her sister, who was grinning in sheer madness at her. Diana mustered a weak smile and nodded, blood were gushing out from the corner of her lips, but she endured the pain behind her gritted teeth. "I-It must be hard… I'm so sorry, my baby sister. I never knew that you're hurting so much."

Confusion plastered on Donna's features as she glared at her elder sibling, the mindless rage in her eyes were slowly evaporating. Grief and pain flashed across Donna's eyes as she held onto her elder sister's body. "Why don't you hate me, sister? W…Why?"

"How could I possibly hate my own family?" Diana smiled as she reached out to brush a few strands of black hair over Donna's ear, tears were streaming down her blue eyes as she choked in her sob. "I'm sorry for putting you into so much pain. It's my fault. I should have been there for you more, my little Donna."

In an instance, Naruto appeared right between the Amazonians, his outstretched palm directed at Donna's face. "Shinra Tensei." **(Almighty Push)**

The befuddled Amazon didn't have a chance to react when she felt as if a truck had just crashed right at her face, launching her away like a rocket. Naruto's clone had already anticipated the trajectory of Donna's flight and intercepted it with swift precision, delivering a chop at the back of her neck to effectively knock her out before carrying her limp body away.

The real Naruto was putting pressure to Diana's wound, her head resting on his lap. He glanced up and snapped his fingers, transporting them back to Uzumaki Clinic. Grail and Kara were still confounded and stunned by what had transpired and the sudden change of scenery; till now, the daughter of Darkseid was unable to adjust herself to Naruto's capability to warp space and time so effortlessly. "Grail! Go get the first-aid kit! Kara, go get the alcohol!"

Grail blinked dumbly. "E-Eh?"

"This is no time for 'ehhhh'! Go get the first-aid kit, now!" Naruto roared. "Kara, get to the fridge! Stop standing there like statues! Move out, now!"

"Yes!" Grail nudged Kara's elbow and they dashed to their impromptu duties.

* * *

Jim narrowed his eyes, unpleased with the outcome of the battle. "Ares?"

The God of War was visibly mortified. "I didn't know Donna's desire to be her sister's equal would be overshadowed by her hatred for her sister. I deeply apologised for it, but as it stands, you have seen what Naruto Uzumaki is capable of."

Turning to Ares, the Spectre's glowing green eyes flared. "Thank you for your service. Until next time."

Jim snapped his fingers, banishing the God of War forcefully back to Olympus. After his rage had subsided, he turned back to the scene before him, a nefarious grin tugged at his mouth. "You have no idea that both you and I are cut from the same cloth. We both have great taste for exquisite timepieces, we both love good whiskey, we both share the same liking for good music, and we both are doctors. And not to mention, having the power to destroy this world. I can't wait to have you as my pawn."

* * *

Naruto ripped apart Diana's dress, exposing the raw bloodied flesh on the side of her abdomen. Thick scarlet rivers were running freely from her throbbing wound, but the blond had managed to stop gushes of blood from spilling out. Diana seized Naruto's wrist, her teary eyes were begging at him. "D-Don't hurt my sister, please."

"This isn't the time for you to think about that, Diana. I need to stop the bleeding or you'll get into hypovolemic shock -"

"I-I know you're powerful, Naruto." Diana said weakly. "Perhaps stronger than the gods. I know you can kill me as easily as squatting flies, but Donna… she is my family. Whatever she has done, it is not for you to judge her! She… she is my precious baby sister!"

The blond smiled softly. "I won't hurt her, Diana. I brought her back to my house. She has been influenced by some mind-manipulating magic, so I knock her out. My clone is removing it as we speak, actually."

"M-Magic?"

"Yes." Naruto nodded. "So don't worry about her. Right now, we need to patch you up."

Grail and Kara had rushed to Naruto's side, passing the instruments to the doctor. Kara was struggling to keep her shaking hands from… shaking. After witnessing what Naruto could do, she was still astounded. Naruto wordlessly popped open the bottle of alcohol and delicately poured it on the edges of Diana's wound. He was impressed that the Amazon princess had not once moan or wince in agony; she merely stared bravely and unflinchingly at Naruto, her hawk-like gaze studied the blond as he calmly administered antibiotic ointment on her.

"You know…" Naruto muttered, his eyes fixated at stitching up Diana's wound. "My wife was a very strong woman. She had an incredible tolerance to pain. I really admired that part of her. She used to watch me as I worked my way around her injuries, just like how you're doing now."

"Was?" Diana cocked her eyebrow, only to realise the implication behind Naruto's words. "I-I'm sorry."

"Heh, it's all in the past now." Naruto grinned. "I can tell that your sister is struggling to stop herself from harming you."

Diana blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Your injury. She could have easily pierced her hand through your spine, but she didn't. Her fingertips went in, but that's about it. All of your vital organs are safe." Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "Whatever is controlling her, she is fighting her hardest to refrain herself from killing you. She doesn't hate you, Diana. I'm sure of it. So rest assure, I'll save both you and your sister."

It was wrong for Diana to think this way, but Naruto's moment of kindness and fortitude made the Amazonian flustered; she thought she had just seen a Greek God basked in the radiance of the sun – Stop! By the gods, she was a respected professor, as well as the heiress of her mother's throne! Lewd thoughts were unorthodox even for her! Regaining her composure, Diana smiled gratefully. "She did try to kill you though."

"It doesn't matter." Naruto winked at the beautiful Amazonian. "I'm a doctor, remember?"

Grail stared in amazement as Diana's wound was healing at an accelerated pace. "Whoa, she's really a superhuman, huh?"

"I guess your powers are restoring your body at a cellular level." Naruto smirked. "That is making my job a lot easier."

Turning to Grail and Kara, the blond smiled. "Go tend to Donna. She's in the guest room. I'll handle it from here."

"Aye, aye, captain." The daughter of Darkseid saluted the blond, climbed to her feet, and dragged the still bemused Kryptonian into the bowel of the house.

* * *

Somewhere on the moon, the Quintessence was having a tea party. Underneath the façade of the cosmic beings who claimed to be concern for the wellbeing of earth, they were deluded by the grandeur of being high-and-mighty, but not the Phantom Stranger. He was dedicated to preserve civilisation. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he glared at the gramophone that was in the corner, playing The Beatles's Here Comes the Sun.

"Why are we here, Stranger?" Izaya the Highfather scowled, drinking his tea like an Englishman would. "I hope you didn't yank me out from my realm just for cinnamon tea."

"We are here to talk about Naruto Uzumaki." The Phantom Stranger announced. "He is the anomaly of this universe."

"I've heard." Ganthet the rogue Guardian of the Universe stroked his beard. "I have seen the good deeds that he has done. I see no reason why we should interfere with his affair, seeing that he has not brought harm to the planet. His intention is pure, Stranger. What is the meaning of our meet?"

The Phantom Stranger sighed. "I'm afraid the Spectre has plans for him."

Shazam grunted. "The Spectre? What does he want from Naruto Uzumaki?"

Zeus the God of Olympus growled. "Spectre? That mongrel has been a menace since the dawn of the universe. I say we gather our might and smite him instead."

Izaya chuckled. "Smite him? You're way over your head, Zeus. I guess spending a millennia indulging yourself in your carnal desire as a male-whore has made you senile."

"Do you crave death so much, Izaya? I am more than willing to grant you a swift death right here, right now."

"Talk back to me again and I'll kill your entire pantheon, God of Olympus."

"Try it, Highfather."

"Enough!" The Phantom Stranger roared. "We are not here settling petty disputes amongst ourselves! The Lord of All has made his verdict, but the Spectre refuses to listen. Nobody, not even us, is allowed to approach Naruto Uzumaki without a warrant from Him. This anomaly does not fit into the universe. His very presence destroys fate and destiny set by Him. Now, the Spectre wants to make use of him."

Ganthet sighed. "What do you suggest we do?"

Shazam took the opportunity to voice out his opinion. "If he is an anomaly from this universe, then he must be eliminated. We cannot allow the Monitors to get hold of this information."

"No!" The Phantom Stranger protested. "We can't -"

"I agree." Zeus nodded.

Izaya sneered. "For once, we are agreeing with something. I should check if the apocalypse is befalling upon my realm."

The Phantom Stranger looked at Ganthet, hoping that the Guardian of the Universe would side with him, but to his dismay, hope was lost. "Unfortunately, for the sake of the greater good, Naruto Uzumaki must be eliminated. We cannot allow the Monitors to come to this world. If they were to find out about Naruto Uzumaki, they will come for him. Their Amada will wipe this solar system off the galaxy. Civilisation will be lost."

"Ganthet, no…"

"I'm sorry, Stranger." Ganthet narrowed his eyes. "We have to send our champions to destroy Naruto Uzumaki. It has to be done."

"But -"

"It's for the greater good, Stranger!" The Guardian of the Universe roared. "This is final!"

The despondent Phantom Stranger stared at his peers in horror. "W-What have I done?"

* * *

The world had always been one giant jigsaw puzzle to Diana Prince. Who dared subjugate her poor little sister with some malevolent magic just to assassinate one man? Why was her mother not picking up her phone? What was the truth behind the enigmatic Naruto Uzumaki? How could he do the things he did? There were so many mind-boggling questions in her mind, and truthfully, she was afraid to know some of those answers.

She was relieved when she found Donna sleeping peacefully in one of Naruto's guest rooms. His two beautiful sisters had done a marvellous jobs bandaging the bang-up Donna. After knowing her sister was safe and sound, she ventured out of the house just to get some fresh air. Grasping her grey cardigan tightly, she noticed a certain blond was ambling towards her.

"Thank you for saving my sister, Naruto."

"I didn't do it for her though." Naruto turned to Diana, throwing his hands behind his back and leaning forward, a warm smile found its way to his lips. His bright blue eyes sparkled with warmth, studying her gaze like a curious puppy would. "I just didn't want you to be sad, that's all."

Diana was taken aback as the confident and charismatic blond stood so close to her. She felt her breath hitched and her heart pounding excessively fast. By the Gods, it was ironic for the Amazonian princess. As a scion of a men-hating tribe, she was not supposed to feel excited and uneasy for a man, especially one who just couldn't take life seriously. This intriguing and brilliant man was a jig-saw puzzle to her.

She didn't respect Naruto because he could level a city with a single thought. No, she admired the blond for his character. He was insightful and unyielding, compassionate and generous, and above all else, he didn't let his overwhelming powers consume him. His capacity to love ensnared her.

Casting her glance to her feet, she realised her shoelaces were undone. Perhaps Naruto had noticed it too, because when she knelt down to tie it, the blond had bent down just to tie her shoelaces for her. She stared intently at the blond, who was taking his time working the knots. Naruto smiled as he glanced up, catching her by surprise. "Since you're a big-shot in the hospital, you probably don't have a boyfriend, right?"

Diana grinned. "Being a nosy doctor in this rundown clinic and taking care of your two sisters, you probably don't have a girlfriend, right?"

His cheeky smile only grew wider. "Look who's asking?"

"I'm not your typical woman who get smitten by a charming smile."

"Good." Naruto stood up and in the process lifted her to a standing position. "I hope that's the case."

Lifting his chin, the blond gazed appreciatively at the night sky, which was blanketed by stars and a cooling night breeze. "I know a place that we can do something great."

He offered his hand, gesturing the princess to take it. His statement came off wrong, but the kind smile on his face had swayed her too much to think rationally; not once did she think the blond would dare try anything pervasive on her. He just didn't strike her as a grade-A asshole. If anything, she could defend herself, but now, she was enjoying the serenity.

Diana shook her head, a smile crept up her lips as she laid her hand in his grasp. Naruto levitated, scooping the princess off her feet as they soared to the dark sky. It was akin to a re-enactment of Aladdin; Diana could hear faintly the melody of 'A Whole New World' in her mind as they flew across a corn field, only to realise that Naruto was humming the tune with a cheeky grin on his handsome face.

"Is this your way of courting girls?" Diana raised a brow.

"Is it working?" Naruto chuckled.

The Amazonian princess averted her gaze, hoping to hide her flushed cheeks from the shadow.

"Can I assume you aren't a human?"

Holding her billowing hair in place, Diana smiled softly. "I'm an Amazonian. I was born in the soil of Themyscira, a land of women and a warrior nation. To be honest, despite how strong I am, I was afraid when I came to this world. This world of men."

"What's there to be afraid of? It has great music, interesting cultures, and delicious food." The blond grinned. "But I can relate with that too. I wasn't so sure of myself when I stumble across this world."

"So you're not human too?"

Naruto smiled and gazed down to meet Diana's eyes. "I am. I was from a universe where humans could do wonders. It's gone though. Destroyed."

Diana grabbed a handful of cloth from his shirt and whispered tenderly. "You don't have to tell me if it hurts you. I don't want to see you hurt."

The blond shook his head, a light-hearted guffaw escaped his lips. "Nothing to be sad about. The warmongers of my world have torn my world asunder, yet I'm still alive. And I'm glad I am. I destroyed the gods and monsters of my world, but it left me a broken man. My friends were killed in battle. My teachers sacrificed their lives to protect me. My wife and unborn child… Well, her last words still haunt me till this day."

"Naruto…"

"When I came to this world, I wanted to die. I lost my reason to live. My very existence was a mockery to the deaths of my loved ones." Naruto's voice was sombre, but he mustered the strength to smile cheerily at Diana. "But I was glad to find Grail. I took care of Grail as if she was my daughter. Instead of losing myself to despair, I decided to become a doctor and save lives. Perhaps I wanted to be a doctor so that I could atone for my sins. My sins of losing the people I cared about. I didn't want to lose any more people, Diana."

They finally reached their destination. Naruto slowly and carefully let Diana down from his grasp, allowing her to take in the pier cottages that were situated right beside a lake. She turned to the blond and caressed his warm and chiselled cheek. "You won't lose me."

There was playfulness gleaming in Naruto's sapphire eyes. It was something Diana found captivating and mesmerising. He wasn't fearful of her. He sure as hell didn't look lustful, but the confidence oozing from him seem to shield him from his pain and trauma, and for some godforsaken reason, she wanted to take away all of his pain. "So, where are we?"

"Three years ago, this town is ran over by crimes and poverty. The poverty still stays, but not much for the crimes." Naruto winked at Diana. "When I found the kids, they were all so skinny and sick, it just broke my heart. I remembered Grail cried when she saw them. That silly girl went and helped built this shelter for the kids for forty-eight hours straight. We worked very hard to get them back in health after that."

As if on cue, the doors of the cottages burst open and children came dashing to them. Diana was taken aback when the kids jumped at the blond, tackled him to the ground, and hugged him with glee. The blond chuckled and ruffled their hair. "I missed you guys. I hope you guys didn't give Sister Clarice trouble!"

"We didn't!" One of the boys shrieked. "Yesterday, Sister Clarice taught us math! It was so boring!"

"Yeah! Max and I were sleeping the whole time!"

"Oi!" Naruto chided. "What did I say about paying attention in class?"

"Where's Grail?" Another girl asked.

"Yeah? Where's Grail?"

"Who's the lady?"

"Oh! Oh! Is she your girlfriend?"

"Oh! Big brother Naruto has a girlfriend~ Big brother Naruto has a girlfriend~"

Naruto rolled his eyes and playfully smacked one of the mischievous boys' head, who retaliated by sticking his tongue out at the blond. "Be nice, Sammy. This is Diana. She's a doctor, just like me."

"Wow!" The children squealed, their attention was fixated at a giggling Diana. Except Grail, Naruto had never brought anybody with him to play with the orphans, so it was a mind-blowing experience for them. One of the older kids tugged at the princess's dress, her eyes sparkled with innocence. "Are you an awesome doctor like Big Brother Naruto?"

Brushing strands of ebony locks behind her ear, Diana bent down beside the girl and smiled like an angel would at the child. "That depends. Do you want to be a doctor?"

The girl smiled. "Yup! When I grow up, I want to be a pretty doctor like you!"

"Aww." Diana wrapped an arm around the child's small frame and pulled her close. It was like a mother's hug as the girl melted into her embrace. The Amazon princess turned to Naruto, a brow raised. "So you're their caretaker."

"Sort off." Naruto sat with his legs outstretched on the warm grass alongside the children, who were snuggling him with glee. "They are a handful. Even if it wasn't for Sister Clarice, I would have trouble taking care of them."

"Big brother!" One of the girls waved frantically at the blond, catching his attention.

"Yeah, Jenny?"

"Sister Clarice made us do drawings yesterday! I want to show you what I did!"

Naruto ruffled the girl's hair and jerked his chin. "Then go show it to me. I can't wait to see it."

The girl chirped happily and skipped to her dorm. The rest of the children joined Jenny, wanting to show their surrogate big brother their drawings too. As they scrambled to their dormitory to retrieve their artwork, Diana plopped down right beside the blond, an alluring giggle that was more soothing than a thousand kisses escaped her lips. "Seeing how you're so good with kids, I'm surprise you're not a paediatrician."

Under a sky of midnight velvet, Naruto had the opportunity to see all of Diana's beautiful features. The lyrics of Sam Smith's Lay Me Down played softly in Naruto's mind when Diana stared deeply into his eyes, her smile just seemed so genuinely sweet. "It's strange, Diana. Whenever we make eye contact like this, my heart beat way faster than normal. It's not right."

Diana grinned. "That makes me charming, no?"

They shared a light-hearted guffaw under the starry night that was brilliant like Van Gogh's painting as they sat side by side like what a couple would. "So, you have been roaming in this planet for a while now. What's your favourite movie."

"My favourite movie?"

"Yeah." Naruto flashed her a toothy smile.

"Saturday Night Fever." Diana giggled. "I hate to admit, but I used to have a crush on John Travolta."

Naruto was flabbergasted. "No way."

"What? Have you seen him dance? The guy can shake his butt."

Shaking his head in disapproval, Naruto stood up and gestured the Amazon princess to do the same. Diana cupped her mouth, stifling her chortle. The blond did what a gentleman would do and offered to help the princess to a standing position, who gladly accepted it. Naruto pulled Diana close to him, one of his hand encircled her curvaceous waist, the other was raised and he snapped his fingers.

Much to Diana's surprise, the soothing melody of Eric Clapton's Wonderful Tonight filled the air. "How did you do that?"

Feigning innocence, Naruto smiled at the princess. "Do what?"

"This!"

Naruto didn't answer her question, but started slow dancing with the Amazon princess. His powerful sapphire eyes studied every pulchritudinous feature of Diana's face, humming to the song while he was at it. Diana reciprocated his curious gaze with an impish smirk. "You never told me what's yours."

"Movie? Hands down, Top Gun."

"Ah!" Diana was perfect when it came to dancing, synchronising with Naruto's footwork like a natural. "You look like the type of men who would be a fan of Top Gun."

The blond chuckled. "There is no man like me."

"Getting carried away now, huh?" Diana arched a brow. "Can I assume you're a fan of 1980s songs?"

"I'm a fan of Bruno Mars, if you're trying to imply I'm only into old-school." Naruto gave Diana an appraisal look, a knowing grin found its way on his face. "Can I assume your good dancing rhythm means someone is hitting clubs like there is no tomorrow?"

The Amazon princess shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a surgeon and a warrior princess. Even a woman like me need to relieve stress from time to time, right? You pick the wrong woman as a dancing partner if you think slow dancing can impress me, because I'm a regular patron of Marquee. Dancing is my life."

"If you weren't still recovering from your injuries, I'll teleport both of us to this club called Nitsa in Barcelona or Zouk in Singapore. They are like my to-go-to clubs when things get depressive." Naruto smiled as a gentle breeze skimmed their skins. "But tonight is wonderful, don't you think?"

Diana had lived long enough to grasp the concept of love. She had read stories about how sparks would fly when love was found. At first, she didn't understand, but now she does. Naruto was not just a diamond in the rough; the rest of the world could be hell, but it never affected him as he had shone. Words couldn't explain how safe and warm she felt when she gaze upon his ocean blue eyes. It was as if she was home.

Caressing his cheek, the Amazon princess leaned in and whispered. "Why am I enthralled by you? Did you work your magic on me?"

"I don't mess with free will." Naruto said, his voice was husky. "Don't make me a selfish person, Diana. The more you get closer to me, the more it makes me want to protect you only and no one else."

"I don't need protection." Their lips were inches apart. Diana glanced at his inviting lips and her urge to feel them became overwhelming. She had never felt this way when a man could take her breath away and stole her heart like playing a child's game. This was wrong, she told herself. She was about to go crazy as Naruto leaned forward, his dauntless and soulful gaze illuminated her world. The enchanting music of Wonderful Tonight was only invigorating the moment.

It was then their moment was disrupted by the lively cheers of the children. They turned to the commotion, only to see the horde of children laughing and pointing fingers at them. Diana averted her gaze, and if it weren't for the appearance of Sister Clarice, she would have flew off to space and beyond to avoid the embarrassment.

Speaking of which, there was something off about Sister Clarice. There was no trace of malice leaking out from the nun; her kind deposition, her gentle smile, and her eyes filled with compassion were befitting of a saint. Diana knew of nobody who exuded no sign of negativity, but this nun had proven her wrong. The very presence of Sister Clarice made her dropped her guard and as a warrior, she never drops her guard.

"It's great seeing you again, Naruto." The nun bowed humbly. "The children miss you so much."

Naruto gave Sister Clarice a two-finger salute. "Miss ya too, sis. Oh, by the way, this is Diana. She's a doctor working in Paragon Manhattan Hospital."

The nun bowed courteously at the princess. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Doctor Diana."

"Just Diana would do, sister."

"Of course, Miss Diana. Naruto has been a great help to us these past years, but he rarely brings anybody with him, except Grail. That girl has the heart of an angel. God bless her soul. How is she?" The nun spoke like how a grandmother would talking about her grandchild.

"Grail is doing fine. I got myself another little sister too. I'll bring her here to show ya some day, sis."

"And you brought Miss Diana with you and not your newly adopted sister?" Sister Clarice probed, a smile curled at her wrinkled face.

The children let out a teasing 'Ohhh!', much to Naruto's annoyance. "It's not like that, sis. I wanted to show Diana something great. She probably thought I'm gonna bring her to a casino."

The nun sighed. "I made soup. Your favourite, actually."

Naruto arched a brow. "Sweet potato, coconut, and cardamom soup?"

"Yup. Go get it. Children, please make sure your big brother doesn't make a mess in the kitchen."

The children stood up, gave the nun a firm salute, and ushered the blond away. Chuckling light-heartedly, Naruto was pulled to the house by the jovial children, leaving Sister Clarice and Diana to their device.

"Would you like some soup too?" Sister Clarice offered.

Diana laughed sheepishly. "I'm alright."

"I cannot allow that." The nun chided. "Naruto has never brought stranger with him here. He is very protective of the children, so if he were to trust you, then you deserve utmost hospitality. Besides, I can tell that you're injured and lacking nutrients. Please, come with me. I'll show you around, but before that, you are getting some of my soup and I won't take no for an answer."

The nun seized the princess's wrist and practically dragged her to the house.

Standing afar was Grail, whose fiery eyes were burning with jealousy and rage. The Omega Effect radiating from her crimson eyes were burning the air around her. A sharp pain struck her and the daughter of Darkseid fell to her knees, clutching her head in stifled agony. She let out a silent scream, only to see the apparition of her father standing before her.

"My daughter… the man you love has betrayed you."

Grail shook her head violently. "N-No! H-He…"

"You are my daughter, the Crown Princess of Apokolips. I am a god, and so are you. A god does not compromise. A god takes what he wants. You, my child, are a goddess. If you so desire him, why are you not taking him?"

"B-Because… he doesn't love me like I love him." Grail balled her fist.

The spirit of Darkseid shook his head in disappointment. "I expect great things from my only daughter. You would allow that woman to claim your man? Is this the outcome you desire? Are you this weak and frail to let someone do that to you?"

"N-Naruto only sees me as his sister!"

Darkseid sneered. "Is that what you tell yourself?"

"I love him like a sister would!" Grail lied.

"If you truly love him, then stop whining and do something about it!" Darkseid exclaimed.

"You have no right telling me what to do!" Grail spat. "You abandoned me and mother!"

"Is that so?" The Dark God chuckled. "It was your mother who left me! Your mother was the one responsible for you growing up without a father!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"You will always be my daughter, Grail. One day, I will claim this world. You cannot deny your heritage! My throne is your birth right! You will be the Empress of Apokolips!"

"I don't want it!"

"You have no say to it!"

* * *

 **Author notes: For those who are knowledgeable of the DC universe, you'll know who Sister Clarice is. Once again, I wish to thank my fellow readers for being supportive of me.**

The Pairings:  
1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoXGrail  
3.) NarutoXKara  
4.) NarutoXPoison Ivy  
5.) NarutoXBarda  
6.) NarutoXCythonna  
7.) NarutoXHarem

 **Let me know what you think by dropping me a review.**

 **Stay awesome!**


	5. Mastermind

Diana laid in Naruto's grasp, her cheek resting atop his chest as she studied the strong jawline and the intriguing whisker marks adorning his cheeks. She could not deny that Naruto was a man made to be admired and loved; he was broken, yet still brimming with life and compassion. Brushing her fingers across his chiselled features, Diana couldn't help but smile at the sight of Naruto snoring peacefully in his sleep.

It's funny how things turned out for her. She was sent to persuade Naruto to join the hospital, but now she was tucked against him and listening to his heartbeat. The log cabin by the lake that was reserved for Naruto, courtesy of Sister Clarice, was the perfect haven for the weary who wanted to take the weekend off just to be basked in the warm ray of sunrise and listened to the birds chirped jovially above a still lake.

When Naruto's eyes creaked open, she was flabbergasted by his pure undiluted blue eyes, as if some divine artist had crushed diamonds and sapphires into his paints and then coloured his iris with the finest brush. He was built like a fantasy, his chest sculptured with the honed muscles of a man who could possibly lift a mountain and more.

"Good morning." Diana offered a small smile.

"It's already morning?" Naruto almost let out a chuckle. "I guess we played with the kids too much last night."

"You think it could be the soup too?" Diana grinned.

Naruto stretched an arm and let out a yawn. "Sis's soup has that effect on people."

Diana started tracing circles on Naruto's muscular chest. "Say, you never told anybody, besides your sisters, about your… powers?"

"Yeah." Naruto responded as if it was common sense. "Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"The world is not ready for me."

"They are ready for Superman," Diana argued.

Naruto scoffed. "Sure they are."

She raised a brow. "You don't seem to trust… human beings."

At that, Naruto's eyes lit up. He sat up abruptly with his legs crossed and so did Diana, who was tiding her dishevelled ebony hair. "Do you know how I come to this world?"

"From another planet?" Diana blinked. "That's how Superman came to earth."

"I came from another universe, Diana." Naruto's comely features went haggard, thickening the atmosphere. "I came from a world where children are trained to be killers and the monsters walked the planet. I came from a world where men like me could easily level an entire country and wipe mountains off the map. Do you understand now? Superman was raised as a symbol of hope for the people of Metropolis, but I was born as destruction incarnate. The humans in this world will never be able to accept a monster like me, Diana."

"That's not true." Diana reached out to caress Naruto's cheek. "You are a brilliant doctor. You saved lives and did countless good for this world. These children would have been dead if it weren't for you. They have a future to look forward to because you saved them. You. Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto shook his head, his face became dreadfully expressionless… and all the more dangerous. Diana had to fight a shiver; his face reminded her of what a veteran killer would look like. "I became a doctor just so I can atone for the lives I have taken."

"If I may ask… how many have you… killed?"

The blond blinked. "Too many."

A tense silence intruded, but only for a moment.

"Do you hate me now?"

Diana tilted her head. "Why will I do that?"

"Because I'm different. The very nature of my existence cost me my wife and child." His raspy voice cracked and the sorrow and hurt laced in his voice was palpable. "That… _thing_ knew about me. They came to my world. They pillaged and destroyed. My homeland. My people. My country. Gone… Ravaged by the flames of their tyranny. They knew they couldn't kill me, so they sent me away. So far away that I didn't even know which galaxy I hailed from. You have no idea how many planets I have ventured, trying desperately to get back to my world."

Naruto didn't cry. His tears were all dried up. Diana had so many questions, but she knew it wasn't right for her to probe him about his tragic past. "People who I cherished and love had either left me or stolen from me. I hate to admit it, but there is no way for me to return to my world."

"You're not alone, Naruto." Diana pulled Naruto to her bosom and stroked his unkempt hair. "You still have your sisters. Your town. These children. Sister Clarice."

The Amazonian princess swallowed.

"Me."

She took in a deep breath and mustered a weak smile. "People keep secrets because they don't want people to think they are different. That's why people are reluctant to disclose secrets to people. I am grateful that you are willing to disclose your secret to me, Naruto."

"Why am I doing it?" Naruto suddenly glanced up, their lips were inches apart. He stared at her with such fierce intensity that Diana was taken aback by it. She didn't even realise that her heart was pounding, but she was certain of one thing; she liked it. "Are you a witch, Diana Prince?"

"Why will you say that?" A mischievous grin curled at her lips.

"Because I'm suddenly revealing things I don't normally tell people."

"How about a fair trade? I tell you something about me?"

Naruto's brow was perfectly arched. "Oh?"

"Can we lie down first?"

Without a word, Naruto pulled Diana into his embrace and they fell back to their warm bed. She pretty much crawled onto him, wrapping her leg around his waist and inhaling his scent. He was enticingly warm. "I was born in an island where women thrives in combat. My mother is the queen. My father is Zeus, the King of Olympus. I was raised to inherit my mother's throne. I have no friends, because they were taught to be my inferiors. I was lonely and scared. All because I'm… different."

Naruto shifted his hold on her so he could accommodate her better. "I guess we are both different."

"The weird ones have to stick together, no?"

As they shared a light guffaw together, they didn't notice the sun had peaked over the horizon.

Diana's head perked up. "So, what was it like volunteering in Afghanistan?"

His lips thinned to a straight line as memories flooded his vision. "It was a… rich experience. I saw many things. I once pulled a girl out from her destroyed home. Airstrike killed her parents. Collateral damage from what I've heard. When we dug her out from the mess, she was too shock to even show emotions. She sat there in the corner, bloody and injured. That image of her soulless eyes still haunt me in my sleep."

"Do you believe human beings are too primitive for their own good?"

"I believe there are bad people out there, but there are plenty of good people too." Naruto smiled. "We can't throw all the apples away just because of a few rotten ones in the basket."

"You should sign up for the Justice League. I heard they're recruiting boy scouts like you." Diana grinned.

"Why didn't you?"

The Amazonian princess huffed. "I'm a doctor. I have better things to do than playing vigilante. Besides, I feel that being a doctor is the right thing for me to do."

"You said you are born from an island filled with warriors, right?"

"And I'm the best of them." Diana beamed proudly. "But that doesn't mean I like being one. Saving lives as a doctor suits me."

"Being a girl scout is somehow doing the right thing for the world too."

Diana leaned forward, peering at Naruto's dauntless and passionate blue eyes. "I make my own decisions, Naruto."

"So have you made your decision?"

The Amazonian princess blinked. Naruto's sturdy expression didn't change, but she could've sworn he was amused.

"Are you going to convince me to join your hospital… or are you going to kill me?"

Her lips curved, her voice honey and cream. "Depends. I notice there is a huge tension between us."

"Sexual tension, you mean?" She was gazing sensually at his lips. Every fibre of her being was compelling her to taste his lips and give herself to him, something that frightened and excited her in the process. "We can do something about it."

Naruto grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Or… we can have breakfast."

Just like that, Naruto diffused the tension between them, leaving a lustful Diana yearning and disappointed. He climbed out of the bed, put on a tank-top, looked behind his shoulder to give Diana a playful wink, and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Donna of Themyscria was grateful, but confused altogether. She really wanted Naruto Uzumaki dead, especially after being notified by mother with the execution order. She didn't know what had driven her bloodlust, but it seemed to be natural of her. The beat-down she got from Naruto Uzumaki was mind-boggling too. No human could move or fight like that and she really didn't want to meet him in the battlefield again, honour be damned.

Kara was magnificent though. The bubbly blonde tended to her injury, fixed her breakfast, and was a delight to talk with. When she walked out of the clinic, she was surprised to see Diana laughing heartily with Naruto. "Sister…"

Diana turned to Donna, a smile found its way to the Amazonian crown princess's face. "Donna, you're awake. Thank Zeus."

She skipped briskly to a dazed Donna and wrapped her strong arms around her sister's frame, giving her a tight squeeze. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes…" Donna sighed. "I… apologised for my transgression. I didn't -"

Diana placed a finger on Donna's lips, effectively silencing her. "It's alright. We will go back to Themyscira after this is over and I will personally see to it about this matter. Someone is behind this, I am sure of it."

Naruto coughed into his hand, alerting Donna. "I think it's time."

Diana nodded. "Let's go, Donna. I'll escort you back."

She pulled out her car's key fob and unlocked the door to her red Bentley. Donna was led by her sister to the passenger side of the car, but before she went into the convertible, she gave Naruto a courteous nod. Diana ambled towards Naruto, gave him a soft peck on his cheek, and got into her car. He waved his goodbye, watching as the Bentley sped through the dirt path with its thunderous revs.

Naruto snivelled to Kara, who met with his striking blue eyes. "Where's Grail?"

"She went out early in the morning. Said she is hitting town to let off some steam."

"Alright. Let's get the shopping done for you then." Naruto ruffled Kara's hair and headed to his garage. "You haven't eaten lunch yet, yeah?"

The Kryptonian nodded, curious as to what her fellow blond was doing. She could see why Diana, and to some extent, Grail, was infatuated with the enigmatic blond. He was strong, but kind – the kind of man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He seemed that good, that perfect, but she knew better. Good things never last long.

Kara shifted uncomfortably, watching keenly as Naruto dragged his Kawasaki Ninja H2 by its handlebars out of the bowel of the garage. Flipping down the kickstand of his bike, Naruto went back into his garage to retrieve a pair of helmets. "Let's go grab some ramen. You'll love it."

* * *

Grail loved busking; she had been moonlighting as a street performer for years, singing and strumming her guitar as means to showcase her talent and to forget unhappy things in her life. The people living in the town would recognise her distinctive wild and rock hairstyle and the guitar strapped behind her back. After setting up her equipment at a street corner, she gave the redwood of her classical guitar a gentle knock.

"Guess it's true, I'm not good at a one-night stand~"

Her gentle voice allured passer-by to stop peering at their phones and watched her performance.

"But I still need love cause I'm just a woman~"

The sweet melody of her song made Monday morning a little brighter.

"These nights never seem to go to plan~"

"I don't want you to leave, will you hold my hand?"

"Oh, won't you… stay with me~"

The crowd was amazed as Grail hits her notes like an angel.

"Cause you're… all I need~"

"This ain't love it's clear to see~"

"But darling, stay with me~"

While the populous was awed by Grail's music, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a group of teenage boys yelling at a frail granny. Her fingers stopped strumming her guitar as she was distracted by the commotion happening at the nearby Starbucks café. There were three boys who were playing gangster; one of them was ransacking the elderly woman's purse.

"Ya should have handover all ya money, senile old bat."

The other boys sneered at the hapless elderly lady, who was begging the punk to stop his immoral ways.

Grail slung the nylon strap of her guitar over her shoulder, marched towards the three hooligans, and glared at them with righteous fury burning from her eyes. "What the fuck are you doing with her? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"What ya want, doll?" One of the delinquents purposely pushed the old lady to the brick floor, much to Grail's chagrin.

In a fit of rage, Grail snatched the perpetrator's shirt collar and hurled him over her shoulder, sending him tumbling on the unforgiving ground and knocking him out almost instantly. "Touch her again and I'll knock your teeth out."

The supposedly leader of the gang whipped out a 9mm handgun from his back, aiming the weapon at an unfazed Grail's forehead. "You better mind ya own business or I'll empty three bullets in ya skull!"

"Oh yeah?" Grail's sinister grin played about her lips. "Go ahead, tough guy. Try it."

Confronted by a dauntless woman who shed no fear in the face of death unnerved even the two hooligans. The elderly lady tugged at Grail's sleeve, protesting vociferously at her not to escalate the matter, but one of the teenagers was too egotistic to admit he was intimidated by a mere woman, and so he pulled the trigger. With a flick of her wrist, the daughter of Darkseid repelled the bullet with her manicured nail, petrifying the foolhardy ruffian.

"W-What are you?" The teenagers backpedalled.

Cracking her neck and knuckles, Grail narrowed her eyes. "Didn't you say something about emptying three bullets -" She pointed a finger laxly at her temple, taunting them with her maniacal and fearless smile. "- right in my skull? You only fired one bullet though. Two more to go, right? Well, what are you waiting for, tough guy? Too chicken-shit to pull the trigger? You have some mighty big balls to rob an old lady in broad daylight, but today is your unlucky day, because I'm about to slap you so hard, Google ain't gonna be able to find you."

"Y-Ya stay away from me! Don't think I won't shoot -"

In split-seconds, Grail had chopped the teenager's wrist and fluidly snatched the handgun away. His friend lunged at her with a switchblade, but she casually sidestepped the assault and stormed her foot down at his calf, breaking his shinbone almost instantly. The teenager gaped in horror as he saw his friend's foot twisted to an impossible and grotesque angle; his friend's scream of agony and terror would traumatise him for years to come.

Grail smile cruelly at the leader of his defeated gang, who had wet his drawers. "Aww, look at you, tough guy. You just peed your pants."

The elderly woman limped towards the apathetic Grail and fell to her knees. "P-Please, don't hurt my grandson. H-He's just -"

"Forgive me, madam. It seems like your grandson desperately needs a morality check."

"That is enough."

Grail blinked, her fury was overwhelmed by confusion. She turned to the elderly lady, who carried an ominous smile on her face. The supposedly defenceless old woman stood a little straighter, her frame imposing and strong. "I am fascinated by your desire to protect the weak. Your father would have second opinion about your resolution, but I beg to differ. Perhaps your desire to shelter the weak brings out true strength from within. The strength worthy of being the child of a god."

At that, Grail steeled her gaze. "What are you?"

"Call me… Granny Goodness."

* * *

The trip to the mall was a thrill, albeit an embarrassing one for Kara. She didn't know how fun it would be riding a bike; she clung onto the blond as if her life depended on it, but the rush she felt when the sharp wind brushed across her scalp and her billowing hair dancing along the rhythm of the breeze. When Naruto brought his bike to a halt, Kara was amazed by the architecture of the mall.

Granted, it lacked the finesse that could only be found in Krypton, the building was presentable nonetheless. She dropped her helmet atop the bike and smiled cheerily at Naruto, who let the growling engine of his baby died down. "Thank you for the ride, but you do know that I can… fly, right?"

The blond grinned and nudged a finger playfully at her forehead. "Stay incognito, don't forget it."

"Right. Stay incognito." Kara strolled alongside the blond. She couldn't help but be captivated by the fashion sense human beings had. She was tempted to go into the Gucci store and drool at their handbags or the Sephora store to check out their plethora of lip sticks. Naruto was amused by how easily awed Kara was; he almost had to forcefully pull the Kryptonian away from pressing her cheek on the window display of Burberry's boutique.

Naruto led Kara into an authentic Japanese ramen restaurant, much to her wonderment. As they sat on a booth, Kara was skimming eagerly at the menu. "What's the best this place offers?"

"Almost everything here is great, actually."

"I'll eat whatever you eat then." Kara chirped.

Naruto shot the blonde a suave smile, who found her heartbeat racing suddenly. He approached the waitress to make an order before briskly heading back to his seat. "I ordered Cha-Shu Ramen with extra toppings for the both of us. You'll like it."

"Um!" Kara nodded fervently.

Her fingers drummed on the table as she glanced at the blond. "So, can you tell me what are you? Are you a Daxamite?"

"Daxamite?"

"They're from a neighbouring planet. I figure that they hail from the same solar system as Krypton, so that might explain why you're so… powerful." Kara looked hopeful, but Naruto only shook his head. "I see. Then what are you?"

"A human," Naruto said, but Kara didn't seem to be satisfied with the answer. "You don't look convinced."

"I don't think humans can do what you did."

"Because there is no human like me." The snarky tune merely caused Kara to roll her eyes. "Tell me more about Krypton."

Kara's lips and shoulders tightened, her gaze downcast.

"You don't need to tell me if you don't wish to."

"No, no. It's fine. I just…" Kara fidgeted, but offered Naruto a beam. "I guess I really want to let it out. Before the chaos descended upon my planet, we were attacked by invaders."

That caught Naruto's attention. "Invaders?"

"They called themselves… Brainiac."

Naruto's eyes widened, raw umbrage was smothering his heart as he clenched his fist till it turned white. Kara didn't notice a sudden thunderstorm was rolling over the town, perhaps she was too engrossed in her memory to notice that Naruto's anger was affecting the weather. His rage was becoming a sheer physical force that was disrupting the law of physics. "They came and killed my people. The House of El led the charge against Brainiac, but we were betrayed."

Kara said her thanks to the waitress who delivered a set of hot tea to their table. She took a small sip, oblivious of Naruto's perturbed expression. "General Zod sided with Brainiac. We didn't stand a chance against General Zod's army. My mother has no choice but to send me here. She was… she was killed by Brainiac's goons."

"Brainiac." Naruto recited the word with a hint of venom. "He… destroyed your planet?"

Kara nodded grimly. "He does that to all the planets he conquered."

Naruto almost let out his pent-up rage, if it wasn't for Kurama's timely intervention. _**"Oi! Take a deep breath, boy. If you haven't noticed, your anger is stirring the life force of this planet. Calm the hell down."**_

 _"Brainiac destroyed my planet."_

 _ **"…Deep down, you already know that your planet is gone. Even if he didn't, there is no possible way we can find our way back to our world. It's best you come to terms with it. Our world is gone forever, Naruto."**_

 _"This is all my fault. I could… I could have -"  
_ _ **  
"This is not your fault, boy. Nobody could anticipate an alien invasion. You tried your best."**_

 _"My best isn't enough to save Hinata!"_ Naruto grasped his chest, his heart ached as he was bombarded with the haunting nightmare of his wife's death. "My best isn't enough to save anybody."

"W-What?" Kara stared stupefied at Naruto. "You say something?"

The blond regained his composure, clearing the dark clouds that had blotted out the sun in the process. He held Kara's trembling hand and gave her a sorrowful smile. It was a kind gesture from his part, but at that very moment when they touched, Kara felt a shock rocking her body. Her stomach tightened with anxiousness, her breast hot. "It must be… traumatic, for you. To go through all that and still gather the will to live. Believe me, I understand what you're going through. You are strong, Kara. Maybe stronger than I am."

"How did you know that?" Kara averted her gaze. "I'm just… a girl who is stranded in a planet that somehow gives me superpowers. I'm not strong at all, Naruto."

"You know how I know?" Naruto's voice was deep and sombre. "I would have gone insane and destroyed this planet out of grief and blind anger if I were you. I, too, lost my world. I travelled to hundreds of barren planets. Destroyed countless of them. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to find another planet that inhabits life, until I stumble across this earth. I thought this planet is the key to my salvation, but I was wrong. It never really fill the void inside my heart."

He gave Kara's hand a light squeeze. "I know you are capable of something more. Perhaps that is why you're sent here. To make a difference."

"How could you possibly know that?"

Naruto shrugged, but the conviction in his eyes says otherwise. "I have my way with knowing things."

Their conversation was cut short when the waitress delivered their bowls of steaming ramen to them.

"Right, party time." Naruto rubbed his hands together, picked up his chopsticks, and dove into his food.

Kara, however, was touching the spot of her hand that Naruto had held her. She glanced up and snuck a gaze at the blond. Perhaps the blond was her salvation; he was righteous like her uncle Jor-El, but compassionate like her mother Alura In-Ze. Not to mention, he was a walking piece of fine art, which really was the icing on the cake.

"Are you not going to eat it? It's getting cold."

Snapping out of her daze, Kara scrambled for her chopsticks. "R-Right."

She wanted to stop thinking about Naruto, but that smile of his was doing things to her, melting her defence and making her vulnerable. She hastily devoured the noodles, but was awestruck by its deliciousness. The noodles were tender, yet the soup hit her with so much heavenly flavour. "T-This is wonderful! I have never tasted anything quite like this before."

Naruto let out a rich, masculine laugh. "I'm glad you like it. We'll go get your things after this, yeah?"

* * *

"Father sent you?"

Granny Goodness took a sip from her coffee and let out a sigh of content. "Yes, he did. My lord wants to make sure his daughter is safe and well taken care of."

Grail rolled her eyes and folded her arms under her bosom. "Yeah, right. If he really wanted to make sure I'm safe, why don't he come down to see for himself?"

"My Lord is a busy god."

"So I'm not worth his time." Grail snorted and looked away. "Typical."

"Do not defame your father, Princess Grail."

Grail growled. "For the last time, Granny. I'm Grail. Just plain old Grail. No princess. No goddess. Just Grail."

"I must not disrespect your highness." Granny Goodness was anything but good. Grail had her suspicions. "If you must know, I am here because my lord has entrusted me with an important mission."

Grail pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't really care what he wants from me."

"My lord wants to test if you're worthy of his throne."

Grail rose a brow. "I've never been interested with his throne. I'm happy living here. This place is my home. You can take your mission and shove it up his ass for all I care."

"He is your flesh and blood! Apokolips is your kingdom!" Granny Goodness chided. "It is your birth right. You must be worthy!"

"Whatever. If he really cherishes me as his own flesh and blood, he wouldn't have abandoned me and mom to die."

Granny Goodness scoffed. "You really think so?"

The daughter of Darkseid narrowed her eyes.

"You really think my lord would abandon his own heiress?" Granny Goodness shook her head, a sinister smile found its way to her mouth. "You are his strongest offspring, Princess. Truth is, Prince Orion, Prince Grayven and Prince Kalibak were never worthy sons to my lord. His desire to have a powerful child to lead Apokolips with him is so great that he goes to great length just to ensure you're safe. You are his most favourite child after all, Princess Grail."

"Then why did he let my mother die!"

"Lady Myrina was a fool, your highness. She believes my lord's intention is nefarious, but it is anything but. My lord only wants you to become the rightful ruler of Apokolips. Lady Myrina was delusional, thinking that my lord wishes to mould you into a mindless puppet. She took you away from Lord Darkseid." Granny Goodness grinned. "Please understand this; if my lord wants to turn you into a mindless puppet, you would have already become one… ages ago."

A chill crawled up Grail's spines. She knew how powerful Darkseid was; the Machiavellian monster had destroyed worlds for sport. She wanted no part of his games. Darkseid wasn't just almighty, but ruthless in his reign. He would do anything to get what he wants. Grail suppressed a seething growl and glared heatedly at the apathetic Granny Goodness. "Did my father murder my mother?"

"Don't be a fool, Princess Grail." Granny Goodness scowled, her tone cut through the turbulent layers of façade that masked her anger. "My lord may have many wives, but Lady Myrina is the only one he has ever loved. My lord may have despised your mother for stealing you away from him, but he would never kill her. Hurt her, maybe. Not kill."

"Then who murdered my mother?"

"Unfortunately," Granny Goodness sighed. "I do not know."

Grail furrowed her brows. "I can't help but feel that there is more to this than you're letting on."

"Sharp, and very insightful."

The daughter of Darkseid rolled her eyes.

"The man that you lived with."

Grail cocked a brow. "Naruto? What about him?"

"Do you even know what he is?"

Her lips pursed. "Does it matter?"

"My lord knows about your relationship with the… man."

Grail's heart chilled. "W-What relationship? There is nothing going on between us."

"Is that so? That is not what my lord has told me."

"Father is wrong then."

"My lord said you wish to make the man… yours."

She looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Rummaging her pocket, Grany Goodness dug out a black orb. "Take this, your highness. All truths will be revealed once you gaze into it."

Grail was reluctant at first, dubious about the old bat's motives. After all, Darkseid was a conniving and brutal warmonger, so would his faithful subordinates. She didn't give it much thought and took the orb, not knowing what disasters were soon to unfold before her. As she took a nonchalant peek into the orb, her Omega Effect emanated a red effulgent, burning everything around her.

Granny Goodness let out a cruel cackle as the daughter of Darkseid fell into her knees, writhing and coughing. Fury was blazing in her eyes as she glared at the perpetrator. "B-Bitch! W-What did you do to me?"

"Nothing? Just enhancing your… desire, that's all."

Clawing away from the menace that was Granny Goodness, Grail was struck by an agonising chest pain that sent her thrashing violently. Gasping for air, she clutched her head, which was throbbing like as if she was hit by a truck. Hot tears were bursting from her eyes as she let out a silent scream, begging inwardly for someone to save her. _"Naruto… Naruto! S-Save -"_

 _ **"All hail Darkseid…"**_

That _voice_ , dipped with pure evil, blared in her brain. "N-Naruto…"

 _ **"All hail Darkseid."**_

Grail clamped her ears shut, trying desperately to drive out her father's voice. "Naru…"

 _ **"All hail Darkseid!"**_

Her eyes full of terror; she was slowly losing grip on reality.

 _ **"ALL HAIL DARKSEID!"  
**_  
Her kicking and thrashing stopped abruptly.

Grail climbed her way up to a standing position, albeit groggily and blinked awake out of her trance-like state.

Grinning sinisterly, she muttered, "All… hail Darkseid."

* * *

The Phantom Stranger had never understood how vain the Spectre could be. The CEO's office of Paragon Manhattan Hospital was dominated by deep grey marble shot through with veins of gold. Antique vase, red Persian rugs, and crystal chandeliers made the office more opulent then it should be. He glowered at an insouciant Jim Corrigan, who was swirling his glass of Balvenie single-malt scotch at his desk. "What can I do for you today?"

"It's about Naruto Uzumaki."

"What about him?" Jim raised a brow. "Aren't you supposed to be an observer of fate? Why are you meddling with his affair?"

The Phantom Stranger straightened himself. "You are right, but Naruto Uzumaki is not part of this universe. And you have no right interfering."

"If you're here to give me a pet-talk, the door is just right there." Jim jerked his chin at his oaken door. "I have neither the patience nor time to indulge with your skirmish. Leave… before I erase you."

His eyes burned green fire, but it didn't intimidate the Phantom Stranger.

"Izaya the Highfater, Zeus the King of Olympus, and Ganthet the Chief of the Green Lantern Corps have made their moves."

A humourless smile graced Jim's lips. "Fantastic."

"Fant -" The Phantom Stranger was dumbfounded. "Do you even know what's going on? Naruto Uzumaki is in danger!"

"And why do you care?"

"The Lord wants him alive."

That piqued Jim's attention. "Big Guns Upstairs wants him alive?"

"Yes. I thought I could rally the help of Izaya, Zeus and Ganthet to protect Naruto Uzumaki, but -"

"But you screwed up and now you want me to help you clean up your mess?" Jim grinned. "You will stoop so low just to get me to help you?"

"Are you not interested with Naruto Uzumaki's welfare?"

"I don't." Jim took a sip from his beverage. "The man is more than capable of taking care of himself. Whatever those three old croons send at Naruto, it won't matter."

The Phantom Stranger narrowed his eyes. "Why not?"

"Because they have no idea what kind of monster they are dealing with." Vivid eyes bored into the empty ones of the Phantom Stranger. "I would know, because I see myself in him. A man who is afraid of exposing himself to the world. A man who is burdened with great purposes. You see, people are motivated by fear. It drives them to their purpose. We are no exception. Fear made us who we are. The only difference between us…"

A cruel grin curved at Jim's lips. "Well, I see the world as a petri-dish. I'm peeking at it from a microscope. Naruto sees it from the perspective of a bacteria, floating amongst other protozoa. Mingling with them. Trying to fit in like them. Trying to be them." He said it with conspicuous disdain. "Adapting to the environment set in stone by the very inferior creatures who made them. That's why I will always be ten steps ahead of him."

The Phantom Stranger clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Do you really have to go this far to ruin him?"

"Ruin him?" The Spectre stood up from his desk, cold fury filmed his eyes. "He is already an apex predator in this universe. A monster hiding amongst sheep. I'm awakening the beast within. Like a kitten, he's small and fearful, only willing to trust those who offer their sincerity to him. I'm sharpening his claws. Teaching him how to draw blood. I am already on top of this food chain. He's the only one capable of reaching me. All he needs is a little push."

"You…" The Phantom Stranger growled. "What are you scheming, Spectre?"

Jim took a swig at his glass of whiskey and let out a blissful sigh. "Say, have you heard about this criminal called… the Joker?"

The Phantom Stranger narrowed his eyes. "A psychopath who is hell-bent on destroying Gotham City. Yes, I've heard of him."

"What happens if I use a mere man to break a god?" There was a gleam of dark glee reflecting from Jim's luminous green eyes.

"You want to pit the Joker against Naruto?"

"No." Jim shot the Phantom Stranger an incredulous look. "Why will I want to do that? We both know what would happen. The Joker will not receive the same mercy he receives from Batman. No. Naruto will murder the Joker and then the story ends. How is that entertaining? No, no. What happens if the Joker happens to break an immovable object? What if the Joker… breaks Superman?"

The Phantom Stranger gave him an inscrutable look. "The Man of Steel is invincible, in mind and in body. You can't break a man of high moral such as Superman."

Jim chuckled. "Nobody is truly invincible, my man. There is always something that grates on people. Hell, even God gets angry. A man like Superman is riddled with weaknesses. He is afraid of hurting the people around him. He hates to kill out of his twisted sense of poetic justice. You see, his fear makes him what he is today. A big lump of muscle to protect his poor-excuse of a sense of just. But most of all, he is afraid of losing his loved ones."

"How do you presume to know him?"

The Spectre scoffed. "A man like him is not sophisticated enough to hide away his thoughts from the scrutiny of a ten year old."

"What you're planning is madness!" The Phantom Stranger bellowed. "You are willing to twist Superman for your own amusement?"

"Yes." The cruel humour plastered on Jim's face sent a chill up the Phantom Stranger's spine. "Picture this. Joker murders Superman's loved ones. What do you think his pal Batman would say about that? What do you think his band of brothers would do? A conflict of interest will arise, I assume. Civil war amongst the righteous ones. It will be glorious to pit Superman against Naruto."

"Why?" The Phantom Stranger was horrified. "Why would you want to tear down the symbol of hope and justice so badly? The Justice League protects this planet!"

"Their strength invites conflict. It has always been the rule of the jungle." Jim said it as if he had justified his cause, wagging a finger while he's at it. "You can't destroy an ideal, but you sure as hell can break them apart from inside out. Say, have you ever studied Shakespeare's work? I have always found Shakespeare's 'The Tragedy of Julius Caesar' a fantastic play."

He stared dangerously at the Phantom Stranger. "I will make chaos with chaos. Cry Havoc, and let slips the dogs of war."

* * *

Naruto didn't know Kara's stomach was an abyssal pit. She ate three bowls of ramen and still had rooms for whoppers. After Kara spent a fortune from Naruto's wallet on clothes, they bought takeaway from Taco Bell for Grail. Kara hated herself for feeling the pang of envy in her chest; Grail had someone who cared greatly about her, but Kara couldn't really say that for herself. The blond even knew Grail's favourite was shredded chicken burrito.

On their trip back home, Kara wrapped her arms around Naruto's stomach and pressed her body closely to his back, enjoying the moment of serenity as his sport bike bolted across the isolated country road. It gave her time to think.

Krypton was no more. She had to buckle-up and focus on the grave matter at hand.

Kal-El, her baby cousin.

Truth was, she didn't know where to begin searching for him. Krypton was twenty-three galaxies away from Earth. He might still be in his space-pod, undergoing cryosleep. The trajectory of his flight might went off-course. He might be in some distant planet. Worse still, he might be dead. Kara didn't want to even consider the latter. Her cornucopia of disarray thoughts were forgotten when Naruto suddenly pulled his bike to a stop.

"We're home." Naruto removed his helmet, shooting a cheerful smile at the abashed blonde. "I'll bring your clothes in."

"No, no. It's fine. I'll do it myself." Kara smiled weakly and took the bags from Naruto's hands. "I'll make some tea. Do you want some?"

"Sure. I'll go take a shower first."

The Kryptonian nodded before strolling into the house.

Taking a glance at the coastal clouds rolling across the evening sky, Naruto sighed, turned off the ignition of his bike, and followed the blonde. He went upstairs to his room, closed his door, and stripped himself. Heading into his shower, he turned on the tap and let the lukewarm water worked its magic, washing away his fatigue, loosening his muscle, clearing his mind.

With his guard down, he didn't realise he wasn't alone.

When a pair of hands wrapped themselves around his toned stomach, he almost spun around and behead whoever was behind him out of instinct. His blood went cold when he heard a familiar, soothing hum.

It was Grail's voice.

"Grail?"

He turned around to meet a pair of inebriated eyes, longing and intense. Her cheeks were flushed, framed by her wet hair that fell to her slender pair of shoulders. Her skin was pale and flawless. He never realised how beautiful she was, but the rational side of him had filtered out any thoughts that could exacerbate his current dilemma. "Grail, what are you -"

She abruptly pulled him to a kiss, sucking at his lower lip. Naruto tried to pry Grail away from him, but she was adamant to have him. Her blood in fire, her eyes bold and desperate. She couldn't take her eyes off him as she snaked her hands around his neck, hauling him against her curvaceous, naked body. Her kiss was demanding, her tongue and lips coaxing his. She melted into him when her tongue met his.

She could hardly contain the riotous feelings and her hormones rampaging in her body.  
 _ **  
"At any given day, I would've giggle and let you do your thing, but she is being controlled."  
**_  
Naruto had to use every fibre of his being to resist Grail's pheromones. _"I know! That's why I'm -"_

 _ **"It's the same type of mind-control technique that was cast on that Donna girl. Like Kotoamatsukami, it is a powerful but subtle. A mind-controlling technique that make people do things out of their 'own' will. Like hypnosis, but better. This one is reinforcing her feelings for you, which makes it even more easier for her to succumb to its effect."**_  
 _  
"Her feelings for me?"  
_  
Kurama almost slammed his head on the floor. _**"You are one dense motherfu -"**_

Grail moaned into his mouth, her hand moved into his unruly hair. Their lips broke apart, but her voice was husky and needy. "I have always wanted to do this, Naruto."

"Grail, you're not on your right mind."

She shook her head, her lips trembling. "I have never been so alive before, Naruto."

She convulsed in ecstasy as she felt Naruto's resistance wavered, a look of pure pleasure on her face. "Take me."

* * *

 **Author note: Hi guys! I'm back! This story isn't dead yet, which is good news! I am very busy with my schedule, hence it took me so long to update. Will try to update sooner. I hope you guys like this chapter.**

Pairings could be:  
1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoXGrail  
3.) NarutoXKara  
4.) NarutoXBarda  
5.) NarutoXZatanna  
6.) NarutoXHarem

Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Please review!


	6. The Lion's Den

The Queen of the Amazon had never felt so hapless in her entire life. She knew her precious daughters were returning home and they would demand answers from her. She nursed her throbbing temples, anxiousness beating in her chest.

A few months ago, she was visited by an ungodly being who called himself the Spectre, a living embodiment of the Almighty's Wrath. He demanded Hippolyta to have her daughter assassinate Naruto Uzumaki, a man she had never heard about. He threatened to lay waste to Themyscira if she didn't comply. When she called his bluff, he snapped his fingers and Themyscira sunk into the treacherous sea.

Hippolyta witnessed the Spectre bended time to his bidding and undo the destruction he had wrought.

Jim Corrigan was inconceivably dangerous.

When news came that Donna and Diana failed their mission, the Spectre visited her again in her chambers.

"Have you heard?" Jim's expression was inscrutable as he peered at the moonlit sky.

"I apologise on the behalf of my daughters." Hippolyta gritted her teeth. "You are all powerful, are you not? Why do you need my daughters to risk their lives to kill something that is far beyond their reach? Why don't you dirty your hands and -"

Jim seized Hippolyta's throat, a dangerous glint shone in his burning green eyes. "Do not test my patience, Hippolyta. Your insolence grates on me."

Hippolyta was unwavering, her eyes unflinching and filled with hot rage. "Y-You don't scare me."

Tightening his chokehold, Jim snickered cruelly as Hippolyta was clawing at her neck, struggling to catch a breath. "I like strong woman like you. A warrior in spirit and body. But my admiration for your courage is diffused by your impudence."

"I…I will not let you hurt my daughters."

The Spectre grinned, releasing his chokehold while he was at it.

Hippolyta gasped for air, her eyes were burning holes at Jim. He reciprocated by shooting a wink of amusement at her, fuelling her bottomless anger in the process. She straightened herself, her shoulders tightened. "I know your kind. You use fear to control people. To win people's hearts. Manipulate them to do your bidding. I'm sorry, but fear does not work on me."

"Even Achilles was only as strong as his heels." Jim clicked his tongue disapprovingly. The Queen of the Amazon felt small in this being's presence and she hated it. "Fear is fundamental. It has worked since ancient times, it still work well even today. You will respect it."

"I don't submit to terror." Hippolyta stood her grounds. "Much less respect it."

"Sure you will. _They_ always do." Jim stalked towards the Queen and was grinning madly with glee when she took retreating steps away from him. "I made the terror, Hippolyta. Terror that is unreal. Raw… Brutal… Total. Terror that makes people waver in their beliefs. Terror that turns even a saint into a sinner. I am able to do so because I leverage on one thing and only one thing."

Jim's eyes were in flames. "Fear."

Hippolyta swallowed her consternation when she was backed to a wall, caged by Jim's hands. "Now, you will not reveal our… session to your daughters. They shall never know of this."

"Why should I listen to you?" She tried to muster a strong façade, but her weak voice betrayed her.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Jim gazed dangerously at Hippolyta and leaned to her ear, whispering. "I was the one who convinced Zeus not to murder Heracles for what he did to you, Hippolyta."

Hippolyta's eyes widened fearfully. "Y-You…"

"I was the one who convinced Hera to bless your people with immortality." Jim's lips curved, his aura vile and pure evil. He was the very reason why Hippolyta loathed men. "You see, I am a man who will turn over the table if I don't like how it is set. As a jack of all trades, I am very good at persuading people too. But most of all, I am very good at making things… disappear. Your island for example. I can toss it into the sun. I also have a very vivid imagination too, you know? Your people? I can turn them into walking sunflowers."

He traced his fingers down Hippolyta's neck, appreciating her plum lips. "I hope I make things clear for you. I don't negotiate. You will keep your mouth shut and forget any of this ever happen. Because if you don't…"

His tone went dark and deep. "I swear… I will never, ever forgive you."

Jim narrowed his eyes. "Are we clear?"

It was nothing less than an order.

He demanded absolute obedience and he expected the queen to be subservient.

Hippolyta averted her gaze and balled her fists.

"Are you expecting me to twiddle with my thumb until I receive your consent? Do not make the mistake of thinking your time is as valuable as mine." Jim growled. "Speak when you're spoken to!"

"…yes."

The Spectre leaned in and kissed the trembling Hippolyta's forehead. "I'm happy that we have reached an agreement. Now, when Diana come to you, tell her that it is the Gods' decree that Naruto Uzumaki is dead."

"I…"

"That's all you need to say. Simple, easy." Jim spun around and marched towards the window. Hippolyta felt her breath hitched when he stopped in his stride and turned to her, his hawk-like gaze was glazed with lethal focus. "And Hippolyta… remember well. I have zero tolerance for betrayal."

As Jim's frame vanished into a swirl of green smoke, Hippolyta collapsed into her knees, her frame shaking in consternation.

* * *

 _ **"Alright, you have two options, my boy. You either screw her brains out right here, right now or you bring her to your bed for sexy time. Both options sound great actually."**_ Kurama snickered. _**"My boy is finally growing up!"  
**_  
Naruto's form erupted into a puff of smoke, startling Grail. The blond delivered a swift chop to the back of her neck, knocking her out in the process. Her limp body fell into his embrace.

 _ **"Or you can be a wanker and do that."**_

Naruto sighed and lifted her up, one hand under her knees and the other behind her back. _"I'm not gonna take advantage of her when she's not even in her right mind. That is not what I am."_

 _ **"So you will take advantage of her if she is in her right mind? Is that what you are?"**_

Naruto groaned. _"Will you shove that perverted thoughts up your arse? What are you? A teen with high influx of hormones?"_

 _ **"Hey, I'm not the one who can use his eyes to friggin' trap everybody in this planet in an eternal illusion or summon a goddamn asteroid down to earth to bring the apocalypse, but noooooooo… you just can't use it to see**_ _ **how much she loves you. She was sending you so much hints and all you do is ignore it like a blockhead that you are. You didn't even know she has feelings for you all this time! This is like the Hinata fiasco all over again, you donkey! You wanna know something? I bet my ass Grail has wet dreams about you every night. Hell, she probably touches herself -"**_

Kurama's venting became ranting and Naruto had to interject. _"I'm shutting you up."_

He went to his bed and gently dropped Grail on the mattress. Covering her modesty with a towel, Naruto grasped her wrist and sat at her bedside, analysing the turbulent energy rampaging in her system. He tucked a lock of raven hair over her ear, running his fingers across Grail's cheekbones. Malevolence was practically emanating from her body.

 _ **"This is the Anti-Life Equation, boy."**_

 _"Darkseid manipulated Grail and Donna?"_ Naruto clenched his jaw. _"This is one whole mountain of cluster-fluck."_

 _ **"Cluster-fuck indeed."**_ Kurama let out a heavy sigh. _**"At this rate, the Anti-Life Equation will destroy her mind. You may be a grandmaster in seals, but the Anti-Life Equation is far beyond your comprehension. It was created by God to balance the universe. When there is light, so must there be darkness. Knowing the formula is not enough to undo its damage. You need to twist and rewrite the words of God to return everything back to normal. That takes centuries, boy."**_

 _"We don't have centuries, Kurama."_

 _ **"I'm sorry."**_

 _"Damn it!"_ Naruto stood up, his hands on his waist as he paced around in his bedroom. _"I will go to Apokolips."_

 _ **"And demand Darkseid to stop his daughter from becoming the very thing he wants her to be?"**_

"Perhaps I can help."

Naruto snivelled to Jim Corrigan, his eyes were blazing in fury. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Hey!" Jim raised his hands in a surrender notion. "Language, mate."

"Answer the goddamn question!"

"I can help your beloved Grail."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, scrutinising Jim's possible ulterior motive. Every fibre of his being was screaming at him about how dangerous Jim was. Monsters like Madara and Kaguya didn't even make his legs weak, but a staring contest with Jim Corrigan was worse than a showdown with the Devil himself. "You are not that charitable, are you not? And how do you even know about Grail's condition."

"Oh, come on." Jim's smile bore a hint of mockery as he looked at Naruto as if he could see the darkest depth of his soul. "Let's cut the act, will ya? I know you know who or what I am."

With open arms, Jim beamed at the wary blond. "I am the Spectre."

"You mistook me for someone who cares." Naruto glowered.

"Maybe, maybe not." Stroking his chin, Jim glanced down at the unconscious form of Grail. "She is not infected by the Anti-Life Equation, if that's what you're thinking."

"What are you talking about? She's -"

"She _is_ the Anti-Life Equation." Jim said coolly.

Naruto was gaping incredulously at the man before him. "What?"

"I can help her." Jim offered, a solemn scowl plastered on his features. "But it is like you said. I am not a charity case."

"You want me to join your hospital."

Jim grinned, his eyes flared with triumph. "I'll throw in Grail's scholarship into the package too. The same deal Diana came to you with. Sounds good?"

Naruto grunted. The offer was too good to be true, but the cost was too high to bear too. He didn't want to be involved in the web of lies and deceit crafted by an insidious nutter like Jim, but he couldn't afford to lose Grail either. He picked up Grail's hand, his thumb affectionately rubbing her wrist bone. He hated mystery like this. He could only wait, speculate, and be useless altogether.

"Time is clicking." Jim's expression was hard to read in the dark, but Naruto could detect the amusement in his voice. Jim has laid his chips on the table, or did he? Naruto was a man who paid more attention to the fine print than the noises, it spoke volumes of the selling price. Jim had him cornered, his generosity was in every way a symbol of his power. For Grail's sake, he would dance the Lambada with the Spectre.

"Do it." Naruto murmured wearily.

Jim's lips quirked up a half smile. "Very well then."

Placing his hand over Grail's forehead, Jim channelled divine energy in her body. Things escalated from zero to sixty. Grail's eyes flew open, her mouth spew out a blinding white light that led Naruto to shield his eyes with his hand. A deafening screech rattled in the air and thousands of horns blared to the night sky, as if signalling the end of the world. When a ripple of shockwave blast out of the room, causing a blackout to nearby towns, the earth went deathly quiet.

* * *

Sunshine poured through Kara's window, flooding the room with a morning glow. Kara did her morning routine, put on an oversized flannel shirt, and went to the kitchen. She was surprised to see a plate of pancakes, muffins, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausages, and delicious bacons waiting for her. She almost broke into a giggle when she spotted Naruto grooving to the radio's music.

"Oh, you're up!"

Kara was rubbing her hand, salivating at the sight before her. "I have never seen food like this before. I rarely ate cooked food, to be honest."

Arching a brow, Naruto stirred the pot of porridge with a ladle. "Why?"

"In Krypton, my parents developed a pill that contain the necessary nutrients, calories, proteins, and carbohydrates for daily consumptions. We don't really need to eat anything." Kara sighed and sat down, smiling as the aroma of grilled bacon lingered in the air.

"That sounds… sad." Naruto took a taste of his porridge, nodded in satisfaction, and poured a trinket of pepper on it. "I mean, one of the best thing in life is eating."

"I guess." Kara picked up her fork, stabbed one of her chicken sausage, and took a bite. She almost squealed when the taste hit her. "This is so good. Is Grail coming down? She should try this!"

"She's sick." Naruto wiped his hands on his apron and sat across the Kryptonian, his expression unreadable.

"Grail is sick? What happened?" Her face contorted into one of concern and shock.

Naruto waved a dismissive hand. "Flu, I think. I cooked porridge for her."

Kara smiled. "It must be great to have you taking care of her."

"I will be doing the same for you if you're sick." Naruto grinned, wiping off the bread crumb beside her lips.

At that, the Kryptonian flushed. "I'm super, Naruto. I don't think I'm capable of being sick. I might be the one taking care of you if you're down with the flu."

"Heh." Naruto chuckled and gave her a mock bow. "I'm in your care then, _doctor_."

Kara giggled heartily. "Anyway, I was thinking of finding a job."

The blond raised his brow. "You don't like working for me?"

"No! No, of course not!" Kara waved her hand in a hysteria fit. "I love working in the clinic. Grail is so nice to me. Everything is wonderful." She shook her head and beamed. "But I want to explore this world a bit. You have done so much for me. I would like to depend on myself. Stand on my own two feet, you know? Get to know this world better in my own way and find a purpose for myself."

"I see." Naruto took a bite from his toast, nodding at Kara's determination. It's admirable. "Just don't accidentally kill someone with your super strength, yeah?"

Kara giggled.

"I'm shutting down the clinic, Kara."

Kara's mouth pursed. "You're shutting down the clinic? Why? Is it because of me?"

Naruto chuckled, amused by Kara's bubbliness. "It's not because of you. I've decided to work in a hospital."

"Oh. You're taking up that scary woman's offer?"

Naruto laughed. "Yeah, something like that. Getting a job outside is good for you. Make some new friends. Know the neighbourhood a little better. It's a great idea."

"Really?" She smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah." The blond gave her an assuring smile. "Anyway, I got something to sort out before I go to the hospital. Can you -" He eyed the plates suggestively on the table.

"I'll do the dishes. No sweat." Kara smiled toothily.

She could get use to this.

* * *

Apokolips was the sanctuary of the Dark God, Darkseid. A ruthless despot, Darkseid's reign was that of oppression. Those who defied him were met with brutal deaths, no exceptions. With battalions of ferocious Parademons under his hegemony, Darkseid was above reproach and he feared nothing, his strength insurmountable and his notoriety was a force to be reckoned with, but Naruto did not care.

It wasn't the first time Naruto had ventured into Apokolips; he had cast a seal onto the hellish realm to serve as a linchpin for him to gain access if situations demanded. He ambled surreptitiously towards the fortress of Darkseid's lair and noticed an acquaintance at the zenith of a guard tower in his peripheral. Frankly, he wouldn't go so far as to say they were acquaintance, but over time, he had come to respect the Chief Guardswoman, Big Barda.

Morphing into the shadows, Naruto slithered his way to a nearby Parademon. Manifesting his frame behind the armed fiend, he seized its head and gave it a violent twist, snapping the poor sap's neck with cold efficiency. Naruto glared at the corpse of his victim and blinked; the body burst into black fire, reduced almost instantly into ashes, leaving no traces of its existence.

A blade, black as night, slid out from his sleeves as he spotted a Parademon approaching his way. He leaned against the wall and waited, his eyes narrowed and calculative. When the Parademon made a sharp turn around the corner, it didn't even had the chance to retaliate as it was slammed to the floor, a blade was plunged straight up its jaw through to its brain.

Naruto clamped his hand over its mouth, ensuring its last struggle went unheard. His eyes – fierce, murderous, furious - gazed into the horrified eyes of the Parademon, its form sagged soon after. With a snap of his fingers, the corpse was lit up on unholy black flames. Naruto peered up, his form dissipated into smoke and like a wraith, he phased into steel and concrete, homing for his target.

The blond emerged from the darkness and posed his blade on the nape of Barda's neck, his voice devoid of life. "It has been a while, Barda."

Barda's breath hitched and her blood went cold. "Uzumaki?"

"You look great today, Barda. You did your hair?"

Swallowing her trepidation, she remained rigid. "I'm sure you didn't come all the way to Apokolips just to have a chit-chat with me about my hair."

"Why don't you take a break from duty?" It wasn't a question. The Naruto Uzumaki she knew was a man of conviction and sheer will, someone who would make everything die in his wake if it justified his cause. It was nothing sort of a miracle that she survived her encounter with Naruto's rampage all those years ago. _That_ dreadful war had scarred her for life. She was ashamed to admit it, but the elite guardswoman of Darkseid was rooted fearfully to her spot.

Barda knew very well Naruto was offering her an opportunity to live, an act of magnanimity that he rarely offered. "B-But…"

The temperature in the room went down dramatically. "But?"

This was not how Barda envisioned her death to be. There were no honour, no gratification, no great battle to indulge, just meaningless death. She didn't want to be squashed like a bug. Barda dared not mistake Naruto's generosity for mercy. The massacre – No, the genocide he had wrought during the bloody war not so long ago proved one thing: Naruto knew not about mercy.

Heaving out a heavy sigh, she regained her composure and loosened her shoulders. She would not look a gift horse in the mouth. "I guess I have to go back to my bunk to retrieve my helmet."

She turned around, glancing at the blond longer than she should. "Do you want me to call off the guards for you?"

"It won't be necessary." Naruto smiled, sending a chill crawling up Barda's spine. She knew very well Naruto was more than capable of slaughtering his way to Darkseid and come back unscathed. She felt her legs went weak. "You should let your hair down. It would make you even more beautiful than you already are. Good day, Barda."

* * *

When Granny Goodness had returned from her mission, Darkseid was zest, a side of him that not many people had the fortune to witness. His fingers drummed anxiously at the armrest of his throne, eager to hear the report.

"Milord." Granny Goodness bowed.

"How is my daughter?"

"She is well." Granny Goodness glanced up, a dark smirk found its way to her face. "I have taken the liberty to ensure she mates with Naruto Uzumaki."

At that, Darkseid scowled. "Your mission is to watch over her."

"It is for the greater cause, milord." Granny Goodness reasoned hastily; she could discern a subtle hint of Darkseid's rage creeping from his voice. "If her highness mates with Naruto Uzumaki, she is bound to him and him to her. If that's the case, once she is married to Naruto Uzumaki, he is bound to you too. You will earn yourself the harbinger of destruction under your arsenal. In fact, we already have something going for us."

Darkseid would have raised a brow if he had one.

Flailing her hands, Granny Goodness cackled. "Naruto Uzumaki loves her highness."

"Oh?" Stroking his chin, the Dark God snickered. "That is fantastic."

"All we have to do is -"

The wall was sheared away by a violent wind, sending tremors that shook Darkseid's stronghold to its core. Darkseid kept his composure, his rage bare contained within him. Naruto appeared as if a mighty archangel of the Lord had come to judge the nefarious and corrupt, with condescending eyes gazing down upon Darkseid and his legion.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Darkseid drawled. "The man. The myth. The legend."

"I demand -"

"Nothing!" The dark god interjected. "You demand nothing! This is Apokolips! This is my kingdom! Mine and mine alone! Your reputation means nothing on this very soil."

"You have no idea, Darkseid." Naruto's cruel grin played about his lips. "You have no idea what it's like to be born nothing, have nothing, be nothing, and then burn your hands whenever you try to do something."

"Why are you here? Trying to play God?" Darkseid scoffed. "Laughable. You are just a monster who charades as a god."

Naruto remained afloat in the air, chagrin smeared his face. "God? Me?"

Cold fury coursed through Naruto's veins, his eyes reeking of pure hate as he glowered at a nonchalant Darkseid. The platoon of Parademons guarding their master were mindless beasts, shackled to a cruel and narcissistic ruler. He pitied them, he truly did. He turned to Darkseid and shook his head. "I am no God, for He is love. He will forgive, but I will not."

"Forgive? Me? What audacity." Darkseid stood up from his throne, his hands behind his back. "You are in no position to forgive."

Naruto descended and landed right before Darkseid, his expression dauntless and his eyes aloof, as if the dark god posed no threat to him. Granny Goodness couldn't fathom their moods; if a battle were to break out between those two heavyweights, there would only be catastrophe. "I am in every position to forgive and punish, my man."

Darkseid made a moue of contempt. "Do you know why I find you ludicrously naïve? A murderer seeking redemption. You are unredeemable, Naruto. Do you really think your past can be forgotten? Can you really keep on pretending like nothing had happened? Do you lie to yourself, believing that what you did has no sway over your future? No. We are rewarded for our misdeeds. God took Grail away from me. The only heir of my throne who is truly worthy. The heir that I aspire to have. Instead, he gave me three worthless sons. As for you…"

Red shone dangerously in Darkseid's eyes. "Well, God took everything you ever cherished away from you. You live the rest of your immortality as a pained soul. Do you understand now? Our lives affect this universe. We are cursed, you and I."

"I'm not here to talk about our lives." Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Oh?" Darkseid feigned innocence. "You're not? Then why are you here?"

"Stay away from Grail."

Darkseid almost guffawed, then his laughter was replaced with an infuriated scowl. "I am her father!"

"You forfeited your right to be her father the day you abandoned her."

"I did what I have to in order to make her strong!" Darkseid bellowed, raw rage was fuelling him with unspeakable power.

"You let her watch her own mother died!" Naruto's roared shattered all the windows panelling the enormous throne room.

"You think you can come to my realm and lecture me about parenting?" It was then an epiphany came to Darkseid. There could no false steps now. Darkseid may be powerful, but his unwavering desire to achieve absolute power through any means necessary was what made him the conqueror he was today. The higher up the path to power, the more treacherous the path. "What are you to her?"

Naruto glared at Darkseid. He knew about the dark god's fondness to play mind games with his adversary. Tyrants like Darkseid would always exist in this universe to herald evil upon the innocent, but men like Naruto would never yield before despotism. Darkseid was nothing more than a provincial and petty warlord to Naruto. "Someone who cares about her."

"You love her?"

"Don't talk about love as if you know anything about it." Naruto spat. "You know nothing."

"The fact that you refuse to answer my questions confirm my suspicions." Darkseid stroked his chin, his eyes triumphant. "How curious."

Naruto gritted his teeth. He knew the dark god had him in his cross hairs. "Is this what it is? Conquest?"

"It has always been about conquest."

He took a step forward, glaring eye to eye with Darkseid. There was no longer compassion in his voice, but cold, lethal fury laced in his tone. "You can go after me all you want, but you go after Grail, I'll slit your fucking throat right in front of your servants."

"Is that a threat?" The Omega Effect was blazing in Darkseid's eyes.

"You haven't seen threat yet." Naruto grinned. "Go on. Test me. Shoot those lasers out. Try and kill me. See what happens."

Darkseid was seething. The aggravating blond got the nerve to instigate a war with him. Darkseid was strong, but not unwise. He knew not to start a war he couldn't win. The Omega Effect died down and Darkseid grudgingly conceded.

"I thought so."

With a flick of his wrist, Naruto vanished. Darkseid couldn't contain his rage any longer and he unleashed the menacing Omega Beams, vaporising his throne in the process. "That imbecile!"

"Calm down, milord." Granny Goodness grinned. "Our plan is going very well."

Darkseid grunted. "Plan?"

"Naruto Uzumaki has proven to us that he loves her highness unconditionally. The seed has been planted, milord." Granny Goodness cackled. "It won't be long before he succumbs to her highness's beauty and become your loyal soldier. All you need is patience."

* * *

Naruto brought his bike to a screeching stop and switched off the ignition. Removing his helmet, he glanced at the architecture marvel that was Paragon Manhattan Hospital. It looked more like a thirty-storey grand hotel than a healthcare facility. He was kicked out from his daze when a valet approached him. "Sir, you can't park here. It's reserved for Doctor Uzumaki."

Flashing out his doctor's ID badge, Naruto smirked. "I am Doctor Uzumaki."

The valet bowed apologetically, much to Naruto's surprise. "Oi, it's cool. Don't bow, it's weird. Here." Rummaging his back pocket, Naruto shoved a twenty dollar tip to the valet. "Please take care of my baby, yeah?"

"I will sir." The valet nodded fervently.

Naruto chuckled, gave the valet a light pat on the shoulder, and glanced his environment. It was like a supercar convention going on; doctors and wealth are synergy apparently. He strolled to the lobby of the hospital, which was all glass, steel and white sandstone, designed to be intimidating and comforting at the same time. He was approached by a redhead in a well-cut navy blue suit, a great contrast to the plethora of doctors roaming in white coat.

"I am Imogen, the CEO's secretary. He is expecting you." Naruto gave her an appraising look; she was groomed, attractive, a pleasant smile, immaculate. He knew what Imogen was. An angel of the Lord and Heaven's war machine. Naruto raised a brow and surveyed the lobby; it was heavily protected by angels in black. The average Joes wouldn't be able to see their halos, but it was clear as day to him.

"This way sir."

Naruto offered a kind smile and nodded, following Imogen to the elevator.

When the door to the lift opened, he gaped at who he saw. "Circe?"

"Oh my." Circe was otherworldly beautiful, her magenta hair curled perfectly down to her waist and her bewitching crimson eyes could captivate any men. Her beauty put any scantily-clad Baywatch babes to shame, which was befitting of her status as the Goddess of Sorcery. She pursed her lips and dropped her Hermes Kelly handbag, startled to see the blond. "Naruto Uzumaki?"

Imogen raised a brow. "You two know each other?"

Circe almost jumped at Naruto, hurling him into her embrace and inhaling his neck with a stifled moan. Naruto reciprocated her affectionate gesture and wrapped his hands around her back; she smelled intoxicating as ever. Their moment was crudely interrupted by a deliberately coughing Imogen, who was manning the elevator door with a peeved expression. "Can we save the unity later?"

Paying no mind to Imogen, Circe coiled her arm around Naruto's elbow and led him into the elevator. "How long has it been, my dear?"

"Ten years." Naruto chuckled light-heartedly. "And you are still as stunning as I first met you."

Circe giggled, her voice sultry and filled with hot innuendos. "So, when are we going to carry on where we left off that night?"

"You remember?" The blond smirked impishly.

"How could I ever forget?" Circe caressed Naruto's cheek and glanced up, her lips curved sensually. "That night in Cuba. The Havana Club we drank. The medium-rare steak we ate. The song we sang."

"Take my breath away, by Berlin." Naruto grinned. "We danced to that song."

"The song from your favourite movie." Circe teased, tapping his nose playfully. "We did more than just singing and dancing, my dear. It was the best night ever for me."

The goddess was eyeing Naruto's lips, her eyes hungry and burning with carnal desire. Her fingers snuck into the gap of his button shirt, exploring his ripped abdominal muscles. An exhilarating shiver ran through her body as she felt his skin. Circe had always been a touchy-feely woman, always curious and physical but never satisfied. A femme fatale at heart. She was a fan of singing, something that entranced the blond to her in the first place.

She peered down at his Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, a sparkle of mischief and joy filmed her red eyes. "You still wear it?"

"You bought it for me." Naruto smiled warmly.

"I should get you a new one." Her fingers traced the worn-out leather, but her eyes lingering at his crotch. "It's old."

Naruto however was confused at the lab coat she was wearing. "Why are you here? Are you a doctor here?"

Tilting her head, she smiled dazzlingly like a seductress, her eyes intense and always impish. "Yes, I am. Mister Corrigan hired me to supervise and lead this hospital's gynaecology."

"And you just say yes to that?" Naruto was in disbelief.

She dug out a Maserati key fob, dangling it between her fingers for the blond to see. "Let's just say he offers great employee benefits."

Naruto sighed. Jim didn't measure his wealth by how much zeroes he had in his bank account, but purchased souls. Sadly, even the Goddess of Sorcery had fell victim to his manipulation.

The elevator door opened to the gynaecology's department floor.

"Let's have dinner tomorrow night. I know a great place downtown. They have live jazz and good food. You can dine me and maybe I can leave you a… _gift_ afterwards if you make me happy." Circe shot the blond a playful wink and gave Naruto's rear a lustful squeeze, much to Imogen's dismay.

Naruto was unflinching, as if it was a normal occurrence to him. He shook his head, clicked his tongue, and chuckled to himself, watching as Circe strode out of the elevator with extra sways to her perfectly curved hip. "Same old Circe. Never even give me a chance to reject her. Guess I have a dinner date tomorrow night then."

Imogen's cheeks was a pink tint. "I suggest you keep your private matters to yourself, Doctor Uzumaki. This is a hospital. A working environment where professionals thrive. It's not a place for your games."

"Got it." Naruto offered a two-finger salute to the uptight angel and gazed at the glowing numerals on the LCD panel. The elevators whispered to a smooth stop and the door slid open.

 _ **"You think all these powerful freak-shows working under one roof is a matter of coincidence?"  
**_  
 _"Not on your life."_ Naruto headed out. _"By the way, Circe and Diana are working here. They aren't freak-shows. They're my friends."_

Kurama giggled lewdly. _**"Heh… Right. Friends. Cheesy and delusional at the same time. Congratulation, my boy, you just friend-zone yourself. Ya miserable donkey!"**_

There were two more angels in their signature black suits guarding the front door of an office. Imogen walked briskly to the door, gave it a knock to signal her arrival, and they stepped into the office, which was big enough to sate a man's ego. Jim leaned against his huge modern dark-wood desk, a glass of Lagavulin in his hand. Everything else is white, gold and a hint of green. He smiled and waved at the blond towards the charcoal leather button couch.

Jim turned to Imogen and flicked his wrist. "Leave us be."

It was an instruction so absolute, Imogen had scurried out of the room in a blink of an eye.

Naruto raised a brow. "What's your deal with the angels? This place is infested with them."

"Yes." Jim snickered. "They are loyalists, actually. You see, God… is an absentee Father. When He creates, He doesn't stick around to check on his pet projects. He leaves and make more. He's a dreamer, a greedy one too. He makes so much, yet naively expects everything to compensate and complement each other. Hoping everything to fall into places like it should be."

He took a sip of his whiskey, smiling at the blond. "God realises His creations are not as great as He hopes to be, even when reality has already crept in. You see, He has this ability to block the real world out. Some might call this… insanity. Any who, the boss went MIA and the angels were left with no leader. I came in, shepherded them, promised them what they wanted to hear, and voila! An army of angels at my disposal. Quite handy too."

Jim took a seat at his couch, eyeing the blond predatorily. "So, do you have any question about your new job?"

"Yeah, on any given day, I would have something cute to say about this, but I gotta be honest with you." Naruto grinned, stroking his stubble as he eyed the CEO of the hospital with mischief. "I never thought I would be working in a hospital again, so I never get the opportunity to mentally prepare myself for this alternative, horrifying scenario where I work for a shady man I know nothing about."

Jim snorted. "You make it sound like I'm a shark hungry for blood. I'm flattered, but please, Doctor Uzumaki, I want you to know my intention."

"And it is?"

Jim stared at Naruto, his expression was jovial and… amused. "Speaking of sharks, I always find them fascinating. They are fierce and noble creatures who define natural selection at its finest. You see, when they were babies, they would eat their brothers and sisters in their mother's womb. The one who woke up late to the party gets chomped. The one who is the strongest lives. This is my vision, Naruto."

Pointing a finger to the floor, Jim grinned. "I want Paragon Manhattan Hospital to be the best hospital this world as ever seen. I can only do that when my hospital has the best staff, the best equipment, the best management, and most of all… the best doctors to run the show."

Naruto's gaze was steady and impassive. "It doesn't explain why some of the doctors in this hospital are clearly not human."

"Most, if not, all doctors in this hospital are not humans." Jim corrected and shrugged. "What can I say? I sympathise with the aliens living amongst humans. They want to live in peace, contribute to society, and be good people. I felt compelled to make it happen for them."

Naruto gave Jim a sturgeon face. "Quite a Good Samaritan."

 _ **"An angel army and a legion of supers work for a Class-A douche who nurses a semi over sharks? Wow! What a creep. Is he planning world domination or what?"**_

"Let's talk about work, shall we?" Jim smiled, his shoulders dropped. "I would like you to run our neurology department."

Naruto arched a brow. "Why me?"

"You have a good track record, apparently. You were a splendid neurosurgeon in the army and during your travels."

The blond smirked. "You did your homework."

"I have to." Jim placed his empty glass on the fine wood coffee table. "I will have Imogen escort you there. And Doctor Uzumaki, please try to stay away from trouble."

* * *

Kara didn't realise how quiet the shopping district could be on a Tuesday morning. She was humming to a tune that she heard in the radio earlier when she was having breakfast with Naruto. Smiling gleefully, she walked past a waffle store, caught a sniff, started drooling, and next thing she knew, she was munching her waffles on a stick.

Her traipsing led her to a small, empty cafe with a garden motif. She saw the notice pasted on the window that said, 'Hiring'.

Mustering her courage, she straightened herself and opened the door, the Victorian door chime wafted. The café was modern, the wall adorned with tendrils of roses, the windows framed by fine Redwood, the ceiling tall and white, and the furniture were made from sustainable materials. Kara spotted a woman chewing peanuts at a round table, her eyes were gazing at a faraway land. She seemed… despondent.

"G-Good morning!" Kara bowed meekly.

The woman blinked and turned to the sheepish blonde standing in the doorway. "Takeaway?"

"Hmm?" Kara tidied herself hastily and shook her head. "N-No! I'm looking for a job. I notice the shop owner is hiring people, right? Can I speak with the shop owner?"

"You're looking at her." Her lustrous red hair was the first thing that caught Kara's attention. It was unruly, yet silky and long. She was elegant and flawlessly dressed, yet her eyes carried an untold story of sadness and it somehow embellished her beautiful features. She was tall and statuesque, her figure voluptuous, the kind of figure that only appears in Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues.

The beautiful redhead jerked her chin at the empty seat beside her.

Kara swallowed, pulled the chair, and sat down. "Umm… I'm sorry I didn't know you're the owner. I mistook you as a customer. You look very pretty."

The redhead smiled. "Are you a college student?"

Shaking her head, the Kryptonian smiled weakly. "N-No. I just moved into town."

"I see."

Kara swallowed again. The redhead didn't say anything, perfectly content with the silence. It was unnerving to Kara; the redhead was either eating peanuts without a care in the world or studying her collarbone. Kara wasn't even sure if the redhead was actually looking at her. The redhead's apathy was poignant, so much so that it was making Kara sad too.

Kara opened her mouth and closed it, twice. She was floundering for words, but the confounding silence diminished any will for her to utter something.

"I'm waiting for you to say your name." The redhead muttered, her voice soft and melodic.

Kara flushed. "K-Kara."

The redhead raised a brow. "You don't have a last name?"

"Uzumaki." Kara scratched the back of her scalp nervously.

"Are you Japanese?" The redhead tossed another peanut into her mouth.

"N-No?"

"I'm Maxima." She grinned. "Just call me Max."

"Okay."

Maxima's eyes were gazing at the faraway land again.

"Umm…"

"You have any plans later?"

Kara shook her head. "No…"

"You can start work now then."

In a fit of joy and victory, Kara jolted up from her seat and started jumping exuberantly. She grabbed Maxima's hand and beamed. "Thank you so much! I will work hard and do my best! Please take care of me!"

Maxima glanced up, a small smile graced her pink lips. "That's great. But since there is no customer, you can just sit down and talk with me."

"O-Oh! Okay." Kara plopped down on her seat.

Maxima didn't talk. She ate her peanuts, a sigh escaped her lips as she turned to the window, her gaze cloudy once again.

The silence continued.

* * *

The hospital campus illustrated its immense wealth in all its glory. Naruto was shocked that he had to be fetched by a black Lincoln Continental to the neurology department, which happened to be situated in a colossal glass and marble edifice that was separated from headquarter. The building was an architect's fantasy, a testament to the hospital's dedication of making each and every department the pinnacle of medical advancement.

Imogen dropped Naruto off, informed him about the route to his office, and wished him good luck.

Naruto tidied the lapels of his auburn jacket, slotted his hands into his jean pockets, and marched into the building lobby. He was severely underdressed compared to the doctors who were in neat suits and white coat. Formality was never an issue to Naruto. A doctor's pride didn't derive from the coat they're wearing, but from their skills on the table and their drive to save people.

Instead of heading to his office, he veered off schedule and went to inspect one of the medical wards. The corridors were white, clean and modern, but what truly hit him was the antiseptic smell. Every detail of the interior design of the hospital was bespoke, a statement of luxury. He saw a nurse pushing a cart, plates of freshly cooked salmons with sides of salsa sauce and fruits were on it; and they say hospital food was crap. He snatched an apple away, much to the nurse's protest. "S-Sir! You can't do that!"

Naruto winked at the nurse. "Sure I can. Hey, that guy is calling for you."

He pointed a finger over her shoulder and the nurse took the bait. When she saw there was nobody behind her, she spun around sharply, but the blond was gone, his guffaws echoing throughout the hallway.

"This place is too white and professional." Naruto's eyelid twitched. "Too boring. Heh, I know what I'm gonna do. I shall hit town and buy me some orange paint to brighten the hospital."

It was a poor excuse for him to shirk.

With a snap of his fingers, Naruto found himself in a boisterous and lively market. As he sauntered along the aisle of shops, he stumbled across an antique shop. It was as if something was beckoning him to go in, and so he did. The display cabinets lining the wall showcased ancient Chinese vase, vintage watches, typewriters, gramophones, Italian Renaissance paintings, and scythes; he wasn't sure why scythes were sold in antique shops.

There was a woman with black hair, black tank-top, black jeans, and black heels behind the cashier counter, smiling almost motherly at him. It was odd because she looked younger than him, yet the way she looked at him was how a mother would – kind, loving, and full of warmth. "Welcome."

She spoke with an eloquent and soothing voice, but Naruto couldn't explain the anomaly. He dismissed his thoughts and looked at her strangely. "Have I seen you before?"

"Maybe we have bumped into each other in the past, who knows?" She smiled. "See anything you like?"

"Not really, I -"

She raised a brow, but her smile widened when he spotted a distinctive ring on the jewellery tray.

Naruto felt captivated by the ring forged by white gold and adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds. A wave of nostalgia hit him, but he couldn't recall where he had seen it. It stood out amongst the others, like a beacon in the dark. There was nothing fancy about it, yet he felt a pull towards the peculiar ring. As he reached out for the ring, he was surprised that a redhead got to it first.

He turned to her, his eyes widened in horror. He didn't know why, but his body was paralysed and his jaw unhinged, as if it was acting on instinct. A stream of tear unconsciously cascaded down his cheek as he was mesmerised by the enigmatic redhead.

Maxima examined the ring nonchalantly, but she was perturbed to notice a man staring intensely at her. She shifted her attention to the blond, but was confused at his bitter expression, her finger pointing at his tear. "A-Are you crying?"

She glanced back and forth from the ring to the enigmatic blond. "I pick it up first, but did you need to cry over it?"

"Crying?" Naruto touched his sodden cheek and was flustered. _"Why am I crying? Why am I… sad?"_

Giving the blond an appraising look, her gaze softened; he looked like a lost puppy, adorable and desperately needed a hug. Peering down at the ring in her grasp, an impish grin curled at her lips. "If you want this ring, then you need to pay the price."

She offered her hand. "Give me your number."

"My number?" Naruto was still dumbstruck and astonished by his tears.

"Yeah, if not, this ring is mine." She thrust her hand forward, the ring resting atop her palm, but only for a brief moment before her fingers clamped shut. "Oh, I should introduce myself."

Raking a hand over her crimson hair, Maxima smiled, the smell of rich lavender wafted to Naruto. "I'm Maxima. Maxima Almerac."

* * *

Jim stood atop a skyscraper, the ominous thunderclouds looming over him. Gazing at Maxima and Naruto from afar, Jim couldn't help but laughed. "So, it has begun."

Imogen stood behind her master, her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, milord?"

Jim chuckled. "Fate and destiny sure have a wicked sense of humour. When Naruto left his world, he was in such despair that he tossed his wedding ring into the abyss and scrubbed his memory clean. That way, he wouldn't feel the pain of remembering his dead wife."

Scratching his nose, Jim turned to Imogen, a mocking grin curled at his lips. "But I guess fate and destiny have plans for these two… Romeo and Juliet. You see, Warrior Princess Maxima of Almerac… is the reincarnation of Hinata Hyuga. If they were to reunite once again, one of them is destined to die a tragic death. The vicious cycle is bound to repeat itself. I guess we know how this will turn out eventually."

* * *

 **Author note: Thank you for the support. I hope you caught on who the shop owner of the antique shop is. Please take note that next chapter will contain lemons. Readers' discretion is advised.**

Pairing:  
1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoxGrail  
3.) NarutoXKara  
4.) NarutoXBarda  
5.) NarutoXCirce  
6.) NarutoXMaxima  
7.) NarutoXHarem

Let me know your opinion.

 **Please review!**


	7. Starstruck

Diana was perturbed. When she tried to consult with her mother about the Gods' intention, she was dismissed almost immediately. It was as if her mother was desperately trying to conceal some illicit motives from her. It broke her heart to see her beloved mother so haggard and despondent, the bags under her eyes proved that she wasn't sleeping well for days.

Rubbing her hand, she glanced up to the sequin-silver stars scattered across the sky of midnight velvet, swirling her glass of vintage wine on her balcony. A pair of slender arms wrapped around her curvaceous waist and a warm body pressed gently against her back. Diana smiled, inhaling the fruity scent of Mala, her consort in Themyscira. "It has been a while, has it not Mala?"

Mala traced kisses on Diana's shoulders, crooning and giggling. "Yes, my princess. I've missed you so much. When I received news that you have returned to Themyscira, I have to come and see you. Thank the Gods."

Diana unwrapped Mala's hands and snivelled to her. Brushing her fingers along Mala's collarbone, Diana smiled. Mala was her rival, her comrade, her sister-in-arms, and her lover. They had been childhood sweetheart since young. "I missed you, Mala."

"And I missed you, my princess."

Diana's finger round the nape of Mala's neck, wound her ponytail around her wrist, and gently pulled so that she could look up at her. Diana gazed down at Mala, her voice husky. "Do you love me, Mala?"

"Yes, my princess."

Mala moaned as Diana voraciously shoved her lips against hers. The longing in Mala's eyes turned into that of bliss and pleasure. Diana's hands explored Mala's back before she reached for the hem of her shirt. Their lips broke contact, separated by a string of saliva, but only for a split second as Diana pulled the shirt over Mala's head, revealing her ample breasts. Their lips smashed again and they moved in unison, kissing and falling back onto the bed.

Diana was on top and Mala was on the bottom, writhing in ecstasy. Biting her lips, Mala curled her hands behind Diana's neck, stifling a giggle. Diana was surprisingly forceful, pinning Mala's hands over her head and crashing her lips against hers, her tongue gliding into her consort's mouth. Mala were letting out guttural moaning, unable to keep up with Diana's ferocity. They broke apart momentarily, Mala gasping for breaths as she studied Diana's hungry eyes. "My princess, what has driven you? You were never so passionate to me before."

Diana's eyes widened, her lips pursed. Naruto's smile flashed across her vision, startling her. Her yearn for Naruto's touch had made her sexually frustrated and she was trying to release her pent-up anger onto sweet, innocent Mala. "I-I'm sorry, Mala. I just…"

"I understand." Mala caressed her princess's face, admiring her goddess-like beauty. "You must have missed our time together. I should be by your side, tending to your every need."

Smiling weakly at Mala, Diana stifled her tears. Discerning uncertainty and hesitation in Diana's bloodshot eyes, Mala leaned in, her lips ravenous and wanting. She kissed her princess, her tongue begging for entrance. Diana hated herself for using Mala like this. Mala deserved better, but Diana would indulge in her own decadence just for this night and in the process, try to cast away the forbidden feelings she harboured for Naruto Uzumaki.

"Please princess." Mala whispered into Diana's mouth. "I want to be with you, forever and ever."

Diana's kisses moved from Mala's lips to her neck, pleased that her consort was shuddering. A ripple of pleasure hit Mala, throwing her into overdrive. She squabbled to unbutton Diana's shirt like a rabid beast in heat. She peeled off every article of clothing, eyeing lustfully at a naked and beautiful Diana. "You have been naughty, Mala."

Cupping Mala's breasts, Diana's tongue explored her consort's naval. It went lower and lower, until she looked up at Mala between her spread legs. Thank the Gods she wasn't wearing anything under her skirt. As an authoritarian princess, Diana cared not of giving affirmation. Her fingers went in, sending shockwaves that surge into Mala's body. Her back arched when her princess fondled the sodden heat between her thighs with her tongue.

Mala grabbed a fistful of Diana's hair, whimpering as she climaxed too quickly for her own liking, her love nectar soaking Diana's fingers. "I-I'm sorry, my princess. I shouldn't have dirty your hands."

Mala's heart skipped when she saw Diana licking her soaked fingers. "My princess…"

"You have defiled me." Diana's gaze was predatory, her grin irresistible. "You must pay the price."

"Yes, my princess." She replied breathlessly. Flipping her princess over, Mala climbed atop and teased a trail of kisses down Diana's body. Mala's curious hands would explore every curve of Diana's perfectly sculpted body, a body made by the Goddesses to defy perfection.

Their love-making went for an hour or two, none of them kept track of time. Mala was sleeping on top of her, a satisfied smile curved at her peaceful form. Their naked, sweaty bodies intertwined. After the adrenaline rushed had left Diana's body, she felt immensely guilty. She had exploited Mala's feelings and love for her just so she could release her frustration. She should have rejected Mala and sorted out her thoughts.

How could she do this to Mala? Diana shook her head and gently dropped Mala on her bed, careful not to wake her up. She gave Mala a peck on her cheek, hot tears were streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, my sweet."

Covering her modesty with a satin cloak, Diana wiped her cheeks and walked out of her chamber, her hands hugging her body. She couldn't bring herself to face Mala, not like this. Her aimless traipse led her to Donna's room. Hesitantly, she straightened herself and knocked on her sister's door. She wasn't expecting her sister to open the door, since it was already past midnight.

"What are you doing?"

Diana almost jolted and spun around, only to see Donna eyeing her dubiously. "D-Donna, I…"

"You look like you need a drink." Without hesitation, Donna opened her bedroom door and skipped to her pantry. Diana gingerly walked into her sister's room, surveying the plethora of vivid paintings done with a style of mosaic. Her sister had always been the artist in the family.

Donna beckoned Diana to join her in the balcony, a bottle of wine resting on the table. "Come, sister. Have a seat."

Diana obliged to the request, making herself comfortable on the cushioned chair.

"Spill." Donna took a sip from her red wine. "What is it you wish to talk about."

"I… I just…"

Sighing aloud, Donna interjected. "Before you wish to say anything, I think I need to say something to you."

Diana blinked.

"I'm sorry." Donna's eyes were downcast. "For what I did. Or what I said."

"You were controlled." Diana frowned. "It's not your fault."

"I…"

"I forgive you, my sister." Diana smiled. It was infectious. "We're family."

Donna nodded. "Thank you, Diana. Now…" Donna's smile went into a mischievous grin. "Is this about that Naruto guy?"

It would had been easier for Diana to lie if her cheeks didn't go vibrant red.

"Oh! It is about that Naruto guy."

Diana shook her head. "I don't know what to think anymore, Donna. I felt so… ashamed of myself when I made love with Mala."

Donna devoured her wine; this conversation could not possibly continue if she's sober. Scratched that, Donna downed half the bottle of wine, wiped her lips, and turned to her elder sister. "Right. So… you felt like you've betrayed Mala because your heart is now elsewhere."

"Yes."

As the Crown Princess of Themyscira, her sister was eulogised by many, which would make sense of her promiscuity. Prior to her relationship with Mala, she had polygamous flings, all because she was blessed with the alluring beauty of Aphrodite. It wasn't a secret that women amongst the Amazon lusted for Diana. "Do you love Mala?"

"I do." Diana confessed, her legs tucked close to her chest. "But…"

"But?" Donna raised a brow.

"I think… I have feelings for Naruto too. He made me happy. He made me feel… different. He doesn't see me as Princess Diana or the Queen's daughter or Professor Diana. He sees me as me." Diana bit her lower lip and hugged her hands. "This is wrong, Donna. What would mother think about this? What would aunt Antiope say about this? What would our fellow sisters think about this?"

"About what?" Donna probed. "That you're betraying the Amazon's traditions? Having a crush on a man? Breaking Mala's heart?"

Tapping her chin, Donna harrumphed. "Let me make this easy for you. Are you feeling guilty because of our traditions or Mala?"

"Both?"

"Then you have to confront Naruto. You have to make sure your feelings for Naruto is real and not some make-believe." Donna held her elder sister's hands. "Mala is a woman who is willing to die for you, Diana. She has lived her life trying to please you. To make you happy. She is not going to let somebody take that away from her, especially not a man. She will hunt Naruto down if she have to. You should know that more than anybody; Mala gets jealous too easily. On the other hand, Naruto is an unknown. A variable. A _man_."

Donna was holding back the contempt lacing her tone, but Diana could sense it. "And men can't be trusted, Diana. Have you not read the history of men? Of their wars and cultures? The French Revolution. The Conquest of the Mongol Empire. The Vietnam wars. The World Wars. The Afghanistan war. How many innocent people died because men waged wars? They are inherently corrupt, immoral, and self-centred. Men are evil, Diana. They can't be depended on. I can't trust Naruto. Mother wouldn't trust Naruto. He doesn't deserve a woman like you, Diana."

"Donna, I -"

"Look." Donna cleared her throat, her eyes sombre. "You have seen what he could do. He beat the both of us in combat. An ordinary human being can't beat an average Amazon. He is in every way an anomaly. An antithesis of Godhood. The further you get away from him, the better. For the sake of your family and friends, don't forsake us for your own impulsion."

Diana studied her toes, not willing to meet her sister's fierce gaze. "I understand."

* * *

The Phantom Stranger was seething. No, that would be the understatement of the century. After knowing that the Spectre had connived to make Naruto Uzumaki a doctor of Paragon Manhattan Hospital, the Phantom Stranger knew no good would ever come out of that. He stood before the Spectre in his office, his eyes burning with anger. "Last chance, Spectre. Walk off the chessboard."

"And if I don't?" Jim Corrigan, in his expensive black suit, chuckled. "What are you going to do? Tell big ol' daddy about me?"

Rubbing his hands in mock shiver, Jim grinned. "I'm scared."

"You have broken the rules, Spectre!" The Phantom Stranger spat.

"You accuse me of breaking the rules?" Jim raised a brow, a sinister grin crept up his lips. "I tell you this: I am playing by the rules. The very rules that we both agreed upon. The rules set by the boss! If what I did is the definition of breaking the rules, then so be it. I am guilty. But guess what, _Judas_. So are you."

Swirling his glass of Glenfiddich whiskey, he shrugged. "God wanted his wrath personified. He wants a guardian like me to protect this universe. Do you know why he chose me as the Spirit of Vengeance?"

Downing his alcohol, he let out a sigh of content and glanced up at a fuming Phantom Stranger. "Because I would do whatever it takes. My existence is a necessity. People wanted me to be what I am. Truth is, they don't even need me to stand for anything. I am God's wrath. All I need to do is to stand and be strong. People don't want me to be benevolent. They want me to be just. To be in action. To punish. To be wrathful."

Jim stood up from his seat. "It doesn't matter what I say. What matters is the things I do. As long as the wicked gets punished, I am given the will to do whatever I want. Isn't that what God preached? Free-will and all the grandeur! We are no exceptions. You know, deep down, you need me to be what I am. To do what I must. I don't blame you for not seeing the truth. With all your foolishness and weakness in your life, you will always choose me to be what I am."

He strolled towards the Phantom Stranger, peering down at the empty glass in his hand. "In the end, I don't care if you hate me or love me. I don't even care what you think of me. Let us agree on this. The rules set by God is rigged. I will take whatever I can. Just as long as I win."

"Using free will to justify your actions?" The Phantom Stranger said spitefully.

"You poor, delusional fool." Jim clicked his tongue and shook his head. "There is no right and wrong in this world. There is never… right or wrong. History is not written by the weak. It is written by the victors. Do you see it now? God has always been the victor!"

Jim spat and pointed a finger at the Phantom Stranger. "God made us all losers. You were the betrayer because God foresaw it! He knew you were born to be the betrayer and He let you. He guided you to be one. And what did He do? He made you His slave for eternity, doing His dirty work behind closed curtain. I will not be enslaved to anybody, not even to God."

It was then the Phantom Stranger understood the Spectre's motives. The Spirit of Vengeance had glanced upon his own future and was horrified about the outcome. He foresaw his own death. The only way to escape one's inevitable horror was to go against the destiny crafted by God, something that was virtually implausible. "You saw it, didn't you? Your death! Naruto is the cause of it, right? Is this why you are so desperate?"

"I will make his life bleak and dark." Jim grinned with bright cruelty. "And when he is in the darkness, hopeless and vulnerable, I will be the only beacon left. I will gently guide him to the guillotine and watch him die an epic death. That's right. His death is the key to my salvation."

"You cannot change fate, Spectre. Killing Naruto Uzumaki would not stop the inevitable!"

"There it is." Jim rolled his eyes. "How the righteous love to condemn those who will affect the world. I love our little talks, but I got far more important things to do. See you soon. And do me a favour."

With a snap of his fingers, Jim banished the Phantom Stranger into a barren planet twenty light-years away from earth. "Don't ever come back."

* * *

Naruto couldn't fathom his pain of seeing Maxima. His heart clenched, overwhelmed by sheer despair. The agony was akin to losing everything he held dear in his life and he had only experienced it once before; that moment when he was hurled to another galaxy, away from Hinata and his friends. He was so engrossed in his thought and the ring in his hand that he didn't notice he was in the hospital, more specifically, in the medical ward.

"Can I help you?"

Snapping out of his trance-like state, he turned to a woman in a white coat, glaring daggers at him. He gave her an appraising look and squint at her nametag: Dr. Kory Anders. She was one of those people who existed so that mankind could define 'beauty'. She had a body of a Victoria Secret's model and a face that could be immortalised in paintings, but her green eyes were what caught Naruto's attention.

 _ **"Whoa, another alien. I can smell her pheromones leaking out of those fabulous butt cheeks. She's from Tamaran."**_

 _"Tamaran?"_

 _ **"Yeah, a race of pacifists who have a knack of giving great sex to those they deem worthy. If you ever hooked up with one, she will give you the most mind-blowing sex, ever."**_

"How did you know about that?"

Naruto was disturbed by Kurama's mad and perverse cackle.

He surveyed his environment, a hand on his hip. "Uhh, where are we?"

"This is ward twelve. You're in the neurology department. Are you here to see a patient?"

Scratching the back of his scalp, he chuckled sheepishly and pointed a finger over Kory's shoulder. "Hey, is he dying?"

Kory spun around, raised a brow to realise there was nobody behind her, and turned back to the blond, only to find no one there. "W-Where did he go?"

Meanwhile, a jovial Naruto let out a sigh of relief and continued his patrol, a can of orange paint in his hand. "Alright, let's brighten up this place."

"Uzumaki?"

He froze in his steps and snivelled to a man who was taller and bigger than him. This man looked like a man who did work out six hours a day, every day for a decade. The muscles on him could even put bodybuilders to shame. "James? James Bronson?"

"Naruto friggin' Uzumaki." James quirked a cheerful brow. "What in the ninth hell are you doing here? I hope you're not doing what I think you are about to do."

He pointed a finger at the bucket of paint in Naruto's hands.

"You read me like a book, bro."

James and Naruto went way back. They both went to Harvard Medical School and graduated with magna cum laude. They were both obsessed with motorbikes; Naruto was a Kawasaki-type of guy and James loved Harley-Davidson. They even joined the Navy SEALs together and became field surgeons. The reminiscence landed a smile on James's face. He shot a playful punch to Naruto's chest and grinned. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto repeated with an arched brow. "You work here?"

"Yeah." James chuckled. "I've been working here for three years. I was appointed as the acting chief of this department a few months ago."

"Whoa, what a hot shot." Naruto teased.

James deadpanned. "Answer my question."

The blond shrugged and offered James a cheerful beam. "I'm your boss."

"Boss?"

"Call me daddy."

James blinked. "W-Wait! Hold up! You're the new chief?"

"Yup." Naruto smiled too proudly for James's liking.

"No…" James stared wide-eyes at Naruto, horror plastered on his face. "This can't be! Show me proof! I can't believe this! No, I refuse to believe this."

An impish and scheming grin played about Naruto's lips. Naruto had always been James's better. In Med School, Naruto would always score one mark above James's. Every. Frigging'. Time! During their time in Afghanistan, Naruto was James's superior officer, something that peeved him to no end. The blond dug out his iPhone from his jeans pocket and shoved it to his friend. "Call Jim."

Dropping his shoulders in defeat, James sighed. "Please try not to mess up the hospital too much. I don't want to tie your shoes every time you trip."

Naruto gave James a questioning look, his eyelid twitched. "Did you volunteer for the Majestic program?"

At that, James averted his gaze. If the Majestic program were to leak out to public, there would be media outrage. That was how much of a conspiracy the Majestic program was. In order to fight monsters, specifically Superman who was potentially an unstoppable threat, the U.S. government decided to create their own brand of monster.

"Bro." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "You went through it, didn't you?"

"Doctor Bronson!"

James was saved by the bell, or in this case, a fuming Kory yelling from the hallway. He's off the hook… for now. However, Naruto was intrigued when he noticed James went rigid upon Kory's presence, consternation filming his eyes. He wouldn't blame him though; there were green fire literally blazing from her eyes. Probably that time of the month, Naruto mused. "I have been looking all over for you! Where have you been?"

"I -"

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Kory interjected, effectively silencing James. "You should be doing your rounds ten minutes ago! Why are you loitering around -"

Kory took a nonchalant glance at Naruto, turned to James, blinked twice, and snapped at the blond. "You!"

"Me." Naruto waved cheerily. "Hi."

"You two know each other?" James smiled uneasily.

"He's the weird guy who popped up in my ward from nowhere." Kory narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Kory, please show some respect to your new boss." James coughed.

"New boss?" Kory was bemused. When realisation dawned on her, she stared agape at the blond. "This fruitcake is our new boss?"

Naruto harrumphed. "I think we start off on the wrong foot. Let's have a nice chat over some ramen? What do you say?"

Rolling her eyes, Kory folded her arms. "That won't be necessary. I got more important things to do. Besides, I hate ramen."

At that, Naruto let out a mighty and uproarious guffaw, much to Kory's annoyance and chagrin. Kory didn't understand what happen, but she suddenly found herself in an authentic and boisterous Japanese restaurant. She glared heatedly at the menu in her hand, her temper had almost reached boiling point. She didn't know what happened. She declined Naruto's invitation, he started laughing, and the next thing she knew they were having lunch together.

Did he drug her?

"I heard the roasted chicken ramen here is fantastic." James grinned.

"No thanks." Kory stared at the menu in disgust. "I don't put junk food into my body."

Naruto let out another hearty laugh, which only served to ignite Kory's bottled rage. She was burning holes at Naruto when he ordered tempura ramen for her, much to her vociferous protest. Fried food and junk food were big no-no to Kory, but Naruto didn't care. Rubbing his hands, Naruto smiled at the puffing and fuming redhead. "Alright, let's get to know each other better. I'm Naruto Uzumaki and -"

"I don't care." Kory interrupted.

"Come on, Kory." James sighed. "Naruto is your new boss now. You gotta warm up to him one day."

"Maybe some other day, but not today." Kory glowered at the grinning Naruto.

Megan Morse sat quietly in her seat, sipping her lemon tea fervently. Kory's fiery temper had always been her Achilles' heels and Megan didn't want to be in her crosshair when she's mad. Megan was perfectly satisfied with being invisible, but that hope was squashed when Naruto turned to her. "So, what's your deal?"

"Morse. Graduated from Johns Hopkins. Third year resident," Megan said quietly.

"Yeah, I already knew about that when I read your files. You took a gap year after your second year residency to volunteer for Doctors without Borders in Sudan. You're also a part-time volunteer for a local dog shelter. That's very impressive. A doctor with a big heart. I like that." Naruto smiled suavely. "Tell me more. Hobbies, likes, dislikes. Which planet are you from?"

Megan stared wide-eyes at Naruto. "W-What are you -"

"I can see through you." Naruto's smile was dangerous, yet pleasant at the same time.

Consternation was overwhelming Megan as sweats were forming profusely on her forehead. "I don't know what -"

Naruto grinned and waved a dismissive hand. "I meant your face when you're not wearing make-up. Geez, do you need to be so tense about that? Girls."

James chuckled and playfully nudged at Naruto's shoulder. "Naruto likes to kid around. Don't take offense to that."

"Hey, James! Remember that time when we were deployed to be ship doctors for the Navy?"

Reminiscing got James to burst out laughing. "Oh yeah! I remembered that. We were slacking our asses off!"

"We spent most of our time fishing on the ship! It was like a vacation!" Naruto gave James a fist bump. "If ya can't avoid it, might as well enjoy it!"

Megan was wary, her eyes fixated intensely at Naruto. Amidst their chattering, Megan caught a glance of Naruto winking deviously at her. Her blood went cold, but she regained her composure. The fact that she couldn't read the man's mind was disturbing enough. It was then Megan realised her new boss knew more about her than he let on.

"Anyway, I think it's impolite if I don't introduce myself to the people I'm going to work with." Naruto grinned. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm older than I look. My hobby is bike racing. I was a soldier, just like James. After leaving the army, I went to volunteer all over the world as a freelance doctor. Any questions?"

Kory glowered at the blond. "The CEO used to be the chief of neurology. When he left, James and I took over and ran the show from there. It is going great and I don't see a reason why we should have you – a nobody – to lead us."

"Kory!" James chided, but backed down when Naruto raised a hand.

"It's fine. If I want to earn Kory's trust, I gotta earn her respect first." Naruto smiled. "She has every right to doubt me. But rest assure, I will prove myself to you all in due time."

* * *

Diana was feeling exceptionally elated today, something that spooked her peers. They had never seen the stick-up-the-bum Professor Diana humming to Adele when she was working. Some of the nurses actually went to the window to check if the sky was falling.

"Artemis?" She called out from her office.

A statuesque redhead bolted into her office and stood still. "Yes milady?"

Diana arched a brow, her expression went aloof. "What did I say, Artemis? Address me as 'doctor' when we're in the hospital."

Artemis smiled. "Yes, doctor."

"Do you have Miss Peterson's x-ray?"

At this, Artemis frowned. "I have it with me, but I believe the cardiac surgery you are about to do on Miss Peterson next week is going to be done together with Doctor Circe, right?"

It was no secret that Diana and Circe loathed each other's guts. Their rivalry was so intense that the doctors working in the cardiology department despised the doctors working in the obstetrics and gynaecology department. To make matters worse, Diana and Circe were competing to be the next Chief of Surgery in Paragon Manhattan Hospital.

Diana nursed her temples and skimmed through her patient's records in her computer. "She is going to replace her mitral valve with an aortic prosthesis reinforcement. Since she is at 34 weeks of gestation, I need a doctor of Circe's calibre to prevent foetal death."

Sadly to say, there was no better gynaecologist in the hospital beside Circe, who even won the prestigious Lasker Award a few years ago. Diana would swallow down her hatred for Circe if it was for the good of her patient.

"Then may I ask…" Artemis fidgeted. "Why the sudden good mood?"

"Oh? You mean I can't be in a good mood?"

"Of course not, doctor. It's just… not you. The nurses are talking."

"Let them." Diana smiled. "Anyway, I'm heading to the neurology department. Please process Miss Peterson's files. I will need to gather a team of doctors to discuss the surgery."

Artemis sighed. "Do you need me to inform Doctor Circe?"

"Unfortunately."

With that, Diana shut the lid of her laptop and ambled out of her office. The trip to the neurology department was a short one, since their buildings were practically neighbours. When she arrived into the grand lobby, she was not surprised to see the senior consultant Doctor Bronson chatting with the receptionist. She stood behind the giant of a man and cleared her throat. "Doctor Bronson."

James spun around, confused that Diana was in the neurology department. "Professor Diana? You got lost or something?"

"I'm here to speak with your new chief."

"Ah." James scratched the back of his scalp. "So you know Naruto, huh?"

Diana arched a brow. "Sounds like you know him too."

"Way back." James chuckled. "He left five minutes ago. I didn't know how popular that guy is. Even Doctor Circe knew him."

That alarmed Diana. "Circe?"

"Yeah. Apparently, they're going out together. Doctor Circe even dropped by to pick him up."

The temperature in the entire hospital seemed to drop dramatically, startling James in the process.

Diana turned around with her fists clenched and wordlessly stormed out of the lobby.

Cocking a brow, James folded his arms. "What's wrong with her?"

* * *

"So, the great place you mentioned that has jazz and great food is your house?" Naruto wasn't surprised. As a matter of fact, he expected to end up dining in Circe's penthouse. Circe wasn't much a party person, despite her glamorous exterior. When it came down to intimate events, she disliked anything that bothered her. "So, we got food, but where's the jazz?"

With a snap of her fingers, the melody of piano, trumpets, and saxophones were playing in the air.

A small smile tugged at Naruto's lips. "Kenny G's Forever in Love."

"I believe you learn this trick from me, no?"

"I learn many things from you, actually."

"Yeah? Why don't you try the food? I made it all by myself. No magic involved." Naruto grinned and took a bite at his venison steak. Yup, it tasted like charred flip-flops. He expected it though. Back in Cuba, he was the one making the sandwiches, not Circe. A woman of fire and passion she might be, but a woman in the kitchen she was not.

While Naruto was digging into his burnt meat, Circe actually thought she did well in her cooking and took a bite, only to spit it out. "T-This taste horrible! How are you still eating it?"

"It's your first time making food for me." Naruto smiled. "No matter how terrible it tastes, I'm gonna remember it."

Circe couldn't help but smile, her heart melted just by gazing into his captivating blue eyes. He had always been a man who was good with words. "Do you remember the first time you ask me out?"

He stifled a chuckle. "How could I have forgotten it?"

"You went to my apartment after fighting Trigon. Your body was covered with burnt marks and scars." She fiddled with her fork. "You were such an idiot. You were badly hurt, and yet all you care about was asking me out for a date."

"What can I say?" Naruto grinned. "All I thought about was you when I kicked Trigon's ass."

The reminiscence was tearing Circe up, so she looked away and clumsily changed the topic. "H-How's your first day at work?"

Naruto chuckled. "A lot of hostility. My new crew doesn't quite like me."

"Ah." Circe grinned. "Neurosurgeons tend to be haughty for their own good."

"Hey! I resent that!" Toying with his fork, Naruto pouted. "I'm a neurosurgeon too."

"That explains a lot."

They shared a light laugh, both of them were enjoying the moment.

"So, what's your next plan?"

Naruto chewed the poor excuse for a venison with delight. "Well, I intend on bringing a few of my pupils into the hospital to assist me. There is a lack of doctors in neurology and it's putting a toll on the existing doctors."

"More doesn't mean good."

"I'm bringing in doctors who are trained personally by me."

"You got a list?"

Naruto snorted. "Yeah. Do I look like a man without plan?"

Circe gave her a mocking look.

"Right, don't answer that."

He took a sip of his wine, smacking his lips and savouring the taste. It was then Circe dropped her utensils, stood up from her seat, and ambled sensually towards the confused blond. She sat on his lap, one hand behind his neck and the other resting on his toned chest. "Do you remember the first time you fall in love with me?"

Naruto tilted his head and looked thoughtful. "Can't remember."

Her eyes exploded in violet flames, a pout graced her lips. "I remembered though. 2nd of April, 2005. At a local orphanage house in Havana. You were consoling a boy on the swing-set after his third foster parents abandoned him. It was that moment I knew you were the one."

"Was that the reason why you said yes to me about the date thing after I had my run with Trigon?"

She tapped a finger on his nose playfully and broke into a giggle. "Nope. It was because you looked like Wile E. Coyote after he got messed up by the bird."

"You're an asshole."

Circe's giggle amplified into a loud guffaw.

Naruto's smile had always been some sort of a miracle to Circe. He was a humble man with a troubled past, yet he carried a strong smile that had a quality of eternal assurance to it. It shone on Circe's world for an instant and its magic focused on her with an irresistible prejudice in her favour. His smile made her felt like she was being understood as far as she wanted, believed as much as she desired, and loved as intense as she could fathom.

As a Goddess of Sorcery, she was worshiped, but not loved. Feared, but not venerated. Idolised, but not respected. She had never yearned for someone to understand her, because deep down she knew none could, until he came to her world like a shooting star. A lone tear fell from her crimson eye, but it was caught by a calloused hand. "Circe, I -"

"Say no more." She captured Naruto's lips with a passionate kiss, the muscle inside the deepest part of her clenched in sweet pain. She broke the kiss to catch her breath, but when she glanced up, she was hypnotised by his sky blue eyes. Staring at them was akin to gazing at heaven. He leaned down and placed feather-like kisses across her jaw and chin. Slowly, he peels off her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor.

"How long has it been since you do this to me?" Circe felt his hot breath lingering on her neck. Desire, thick and hot, pooled in her belly. "How did you capture the heart of a goddess, Naruto?"

Naruto caressed her chin, his eyes intense and domineering. "Do you still remember the first time we drank?"

Circe giggled. "I vomited all over your sweater. Oh! Oh! Your sweater has a teddy bear emblem on it! I remembered. You looked so goofy and silly. It looks good on you too!"

The blond sighed. "You shouldn't drink with others."

"Why?" Her fingers slid underneath Naruto's shirt, her fingers exploring every inch of his body. "Feeling protective of me?"

"Feeling sorry for those who have to put up with you when you're drunk." He gave her a wicked grin.

Circe pouted. "Do you have to go that far?"

Naruto rounded his hands around Circe's waist, pulling her against him. His hand travelled down her to her behind, squeezing it gently. She could feel his erection languidly pushed into her. Every part of Naruto's body exuded strength and nobility, her fingers found its way to the scars on his backs. She remembered fondly of the origin of each scar inflicted on his body and it made her want him more. Hoisting Circe by her hips, Naruto eased her towards her bed.

Circe gasped when he ran his tongue around her naval, nipping and kissing his way to her black lacy panties, never breaking eye contact with her while he was at it. She was flushed, her skin burning. She was clawing at the sheet beneath her, wiggling as Naruto kissed her inner thigh. He laid beside her, his hand dipped underneath her bra to cup her breast, fondling them affectionately. With dexterous speed, he undid her bra and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Naruto…" She groaned as she felt the heat in her chest. Her body sung with pleasure and agony as her nipples bore the sensual assault of his deft fingers and lips. Her head pulled back when his teeth bit the side of her breast, a loving gesture that shook her body. She convulsed and melted in his embrace when his lips found its way to hers.

Her breathing ragged as she messed with his golden, unruly hair. "Please…"

"Of course, milady." His fingers slipped through her lacy panties. "You ready?"

She didn't even have a time to respond as he thrust his fingers into her, earning him a satisfied cry. He pushed inside her harder and harder, his tongue dancing with hers. She could feel the untamed power swelling inside of Naruto, the power that made him a God amongst men. It was pure, untainted, yet destructive, and it was intoxicating her.

He tugged her panties off, admiring her womanhood. "Fuck me."

Naruto didn't say a word, but the whiskers adorning his chiselled cheeks had become prominent, his hair was even more unkempt than ever, a feral look that aroused Circe. She hastily undid his jeans, pulled off his boxer brief, and let his erection sprung free. She gasped at the sheer size, but he had pushed her back to the mattress, his luminous eyes burning a bright blue.

She almost let out a scream when he slammed into her sex, tidal waves of fire and electricity jarring her senses. It had been so long since she felt pleasure as intense as this. He was still, gazing at her, caressing her redden cheek, his finger wiping off the tears trailing down the corner of her bewitching red eye. He was letting her acclimatise to the overwhelming feeling of him inside her.

"Circe, I'm going to move." A grin played about his lips.

She nodded, her nails dug into his shoulder, her body was starting to remember what it like was to make love with him. He was exquisitely slow at first, moving in and out of her. As she was lost in ecstasy, his pace quickened, his rhythm merciless and relentless. He kissed her hard, savouring the taste of her tongue. Her body stiffened as he thrust on and on, pleasure skyrocketed and overwhelmed her nerves.

A sheen of sweat glazed over their bodies. Her mind was scattering as she kept moaning out Naruto's name. It seemed almost like an eternity before she reached her limit and she exploded around him, splintering into million pieces underneath him. He gave one final thrust, unloading himself into her. She was panting, her thumping heart almost gave out.

Naruto laid beside Circe, his hands wrapped over her hip, his eyes loving and filled with fire.

She was playing with his tousled hair, grinning cheerfully. "You know I can read minds, right?"

The blond raised a brow. "Yeah. What about it?"

She nestled her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "It seems like you've other women in your life now."

"I do. My sisters."

"Sisters?" Circe's curiosity was piqued. "You adopted more?"

"What can I say? Kara's spaceship landed in my backyard."

"Kara, huh?" Circe closed her eyes. "Is she pretty?"

"Yes." Naruto smiled. "I hope to teach her more about this world. I know she wouldn't want to be a doctor like me."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Call it a hunch."

"But I'm not talking about your sisters though." Circe's eyes flew open. "There are other women, right?"

Naruto raised a brow. "What makes you say that?"

"We have not been together for so long, Naruto. It's only natural you have other women in your lives."

"Friends." Naruto corrected, but Circe was sceptical. "And do you not have other men in your life."

A tense silence intruded. "Not really. Not after you left me, no."

Heaving out a sigh, Naruto peered at the ceiling. "What did you do after we broke up?"

"I nosedived into my studies. Went to Cambridge to get my medical license. Did some travelling on my own. I picked up a part time job as a singer in this bar downtown. I kept myself occupied, just so I wouldn't think about you." Circe's tone was poignant, something Naruto had caught on. He smelled her hair, the apple scent was pleasant. She always used the same Herbal Essences shampoo. "Why did you leave?"

Naruto's lips tightened. "I had my reasons."

"Because you're afraid of losing me? The same excuse you give yourself?" Circe rolled her eyes and sat up, straddling Naruto's hip. "Do I look that weak to you?"

Circe was the Sorceress Supreme, a wielder of unfathomable magic. She was anything but weak. Naruto climbed up to an upright position, his hands coiled around her waist as he met her fierce gaze. "There is more to that. Things that I can't say."

"Can't or won't?" Circe probed, frustrated about Naruto's ambivalence.

"Maybe I didn't love you as much as I thought." He lied.

The Goddess of Sorcery gritted her teeth. Naruto was never a good liar, especially not to her. "Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

She stared pleadingly at him, her lips trembled anxiously. She had always wanted to interrogate the blond, get to the bottom of this dilemma that had been eating her. Naruto was everything she had wanted. She leaned in, their forehead touching. "Look at me, my love. Please, tell me. Tell me why."

"Do you really want to know?" His expression was inscrutable.

"I want the truth."

Naruto was solemn, something that always scared and aroused Circe at the same time. "If you were to know the truth, then there is no going back. You may start to regain memory. The memory that I locked away from you."

Circe bit her lower lip. "What memory?"

Letting out a heavy breath, Naruto's lips thinned to a straight line.

"Tell me!" Tears were about to burst from her bloodshot eyes.

"You tried to destroy me and the rest of the world."

Circe's eyes widened in terror.

* * *

In an underground tunnel somewhere in Gotham, billionaire playboy by day, crime-fighting Boy Scout by night – Bruce Wayne – stood before several monitors, studying the data displayed before him.

Alfred Pennyworth descended the stairs and opened the glass door to the Batcave. "Master Bruce, Miss Gordon is here."

"Hey, Batman!" Barbara chirped and let out a tired yawn. "You called? What's the emergency?"

Bruce's attention remained fixated at the screen. "I heard you're transferring to the neurology department?"

At that, Barbara almost snorted. "Surely you didn't summon me here to talk about my work in the hospital, right?"

"Answer the question, Batgirl." His voice was solemn.

She arched a brow. "Ya? What's that got to do with you?"

"It's not your work that has anything to do with me. It's your new boss."

"The CEO of my hospital is Doctor Corrigan. Are you saying he's gonna get replaced?"

Bruce turned to his protégé and scowled. "Not him. Jim Corrigan is under my watch, but he is not as suspicious as the new neurology department chief in your hospital. I'm talking about Doctor Naruto Uzumaki."

Barbara looked confused. "I don't know who this Doctor Naruto Uzumaki is. Never seen him before."

"You've worked with him before though." That statement confused Barbara, but when Bruce clicked the 'play' button on the screen, she realised who the elephant in the room was. On the screen showed a CCTV video that captured Barbara, Zatanna, and the miracle doctor working on an ad-hoc patient in a dark surgery theatre. She let out a gasp and pointed a finger at the smudgy image of the blond on the screen. "He is my new boss?"

"That man is Doctor Naruto Uzumaki. He is a reserve in the U.S. Army's Medical Corps. He worked with the Navy SEALs as a Lieutenant Colonel, supervising field surgeons in Afghanistan. When he left, he went around the world as a freelance surgeon."

"Sounds like a good man to me." Barbara smiled.

"This man is an immortal." Bruce typed on his keyboard and vintage photos of soldiers during World War Two, footage of scientists experimenting on electricity, and texts dated all the way back to the 18th century had popped up all over the screen, illustrating evidence of Naruto's existence centuries ago. "And there is something more sinister about this."

"So he fought in the World War Two. What's the big deal? At least he wasn't siding with the Nazis, right?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes. "Naruto Uzumaki possessed powers that are beyond our understanding. This is a recent video captured in Brazil. It was uploaded in Youtube a few days ago, but was taken down shortly after. Apparently, even the CIA and MI6 knew about this."

Barbara inspected the video on the screen and was awestruck by what she had seen. The video showed a blond man fighting two women. What puzzled Barbara was that one of the women reminded her of… Professor Diana Prince.

"You recognised one of the women, right?" Bruce sighed. "That is Diana Prince… or should I say, the Princess of Themyscira. They called her Wonder Woman during World War One, when she fought alongside the British Army to break through No Man's Land. Quite a feat, actually."

"W-What?" All these bombardment of information was making Barbara nausea.

"All you need to know is that Naruto Uzumaki is highly dangerous. I will even put him as a potential threat on the same league as Superman. You will be working for him soon. I want you to know who and what he is before you go to the hospital tomorrow." Bruce gritted his teeth. "If he poses as a threat, I want you to report to me immediately. I am devising a countermeasure against this entity, but I need to collect more data about his weakness. Batgirl, you will be spearheading this mission."

* * *

 **Author Note: Can't wait for the upcoming Justice League movie. Anyway, hope you like the story.**

Pairing:

1.) NarutoXDiana  
2.) NarutoXGrail  
3.) NarutoXKara  
4.) NarutoXCirce  
5.) NarutoXMaxima  
6.) NarutoXHarem

 **Let me know if you have any suggestion and don't forget to write a review.**


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